I just don't care about the 'obesity epidemic'

nena49659

Obese people cost 40% more a year in health care related expenses than a "normal" weight person. As a rule they do not pay more for health insurance than a "normal" size person, i.e., there is a cost that is spread to people who can push away from the table. Statistically obese people call in "sick" to work more often and file more workers comp claims (not to mention health care workers who are injured taking care of obese patients-happens all the time), so again, money.

It isn't about aesthetics, it's about money.

I don't cost anyone anything. I don't have insurance and I don't go to the doctor. IF I DID go to the doctor, I'd pay my own dang bill.

rml_16

We definitely should thank Obama. The first president to get health care through for tens of millions of people who aren't covered.

You sound like an other uniformed person who gets their news from talk radio or fake news.

Or CNBC or ABC or any newspaper.

DamePiglet

My statements were not meant for anyone to take personally. You had large babies. From the looks of it, you appear to be genetically a "big baby" maker. Some people just are.

I'm guessing that your children were healthy and your deliveries successful. That's not always the case.

I'm not "name-calling" newborns. I'm using "obese" is an adjective to describe a disproportionately large weight to length ratio AT ONE POINT IN TIME, not as a chronic condition.

I think the main issue we have is with the person freaking out about her friends having an 11-pound baby, not so much with you. But it's still silly to label a baby as obese, since that term denotes something that is within someone's control and can lead to health problems. You just can't tell that about a newborn based on weight. Some babies are just born big and there's not necessarily anything wrong with that. They're just big babies. If they weigh 80 pounds at 2 years old, there's a problem.

even at 2, they can't help themselves.
Most people I am in contact with regularly use words at face value as I do, without added connotation; not silly - just succinct and necessary for the work I do.

No, but certainly that shows parental negligence at the very least. You can't blame a parent for a baby just out of the womb weighing 11 pounds. Even women of normal, healthy weights who gain reasonable amounts during pregnancy can have gestational diabetes and cause larger babies. But you can't really blame the mother for that. It's a medical condition that happens.

Far be it from me to be into 'fat shaming' or 'illness shaming' for that matter.
I was healthy and acquired pre-eclampsia in pregnancy #1.

Unfortunately, some women DO gain tremendous amounts of weight (on purpose - "I'm eating for two, so I'll eat 3") during pregnancy with no regard (I believe most simply don't know) to the potential problems it can cause both her and her baby. ( I saw far too often when I lived in a remote and very cold region.)


Since we're discussing this, here are some stats:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-and-obesity/MY01943

edited for clarity.

ajaxe432

We definitely should thank Obama. The first president to get health care through for tens of millions of people who aren't covered.

You sound like an other uniformed person who gets their news from talk radio or fake news.

Tax dollars. :grumble:

AMEN! This is a huge part of why the Affordable Care Act isn't soo affordable. Healthy, WORKING people have to subsidize unhealthy people!

Fixed it to reflect a keyword you left out. Thanks Obama!

Dont get me started:explode:

rml_16

Unfortunately, some women DO gain tremendous amounts of weight during pregnancy with no regard to the potential problems it can cause both her and her baby.

I didn't say no women gained too much. I pointed out that some women who don't still have large babies. And even some women who DO gain a lot have healthy pregnancies and babies. I'd venture to say most do, even though it makes them higher risk. It doesn't guarantee there will be a problem.

fbmandy55

In all honestly, I think the healthcare and tax argument is crap. We pay a hell of a lot more in taxes for stupid **** that our government passes.

For example:

$210 million annually for unused TSA security equipment

$376 million on a White House construction update, including a temporary 'oval office'.

The IRS spent $4.1 million on a conference including $50,000 for line-dancing and “Star Trek” parody videos, $135,350 for outside speakers, $64,000 in conference clothing.

$850 million in SSA and Unemployment double payments

Plus millions more on studies to determine if ancient birds had black feathers or not, for video games, and many other unnecessary projects.

But please, continue voting in the same people and complaining how fat people are so expensive..

KPhilbe

My most simple and easy to understand reason is because we care about them as they are our loved ones... and we want them to live a long life and enjoy life with us. It is not likely that they will spend as long or as much time with us if they are living an unhealthy life style.

I dont particulary care about what they eat until it interferes with the joy that each and every one of use should be able to appreciate in our lives. Is that a good enough reason to care? For me it is...

DamePiglet

Unfortunately, some women DO gain tremendous amounts of weight during pregnancy with no regard to the potential problems it can cause both her and her baby.

I didn't say no women gained too much. I pointed out that some women who don't still have large babies. And even some women who DO gain a lot have healthy pregnancies and babies. I'd venture to say most do, even though it makes them higher risk. It doesn't guarantee there will be a problem.

The capitalized "DO" is in reference to the previous statement in that post, not to anything you said.

kimpar2

I'm not a big commenter: I'm pretty busy. But I will say this:

I'm from Canada. We have universal healthcare, and I understand that there are Americans who think it's so great. It's not.

Because in Canada, if you have medical insurance, you can eat like a pig, lie around like a sloth, smoke like a chimney, sleep around like a rabbit... and if you get sick, you pay the same premiums as everyone else. Of course, since the pricing is so great, the wait times are long enough that some people choose to pay for their procedures in the United States. Imagine that.

Take my dad. He's from the Indian sub-continent. He recently had 4 veins replaced on his heart. He eats better now, but he didn't pay much out of his pocket for his surgery and care. How is that fair to healthier folk?

$64 / month for British Columbia Medical Services Plan premiums... that's what we both pay (well, mine is covered through work, but whatever).

Honestly (in Canada), if you wanna be unhealthy, fine. Be my guest. But it makes no sense that most people in British Columbia (Canada's most western province) pay $64 / month for Medical Services Plan (MSP) premiums (it's lower if you have less money or are a student) when the providers of insurance really don't care about your lifestyle choices.

I know the Canadians on this thread will not like what I'm saying. In Canada, "user fees" is the dirtiest word in health care (next to "two-tier health care system"). But the current model makes no sense.

brower47

Its doesn't bother me unless I'm stuck next to an extremely obese person in a aeroplane or train.

Yeah because we all know fat is contagious.

No, but it can be uncomfortable sitting at an odd angle for 6+ hours. And it sucks when you're in the middle seat and both the window and isle person don't know that middle seat gets both armrests. Window has window and side of plane to lean against, isle has outer armrest and extra isle legroom and middle should get both armrests. My isle person's size took up one armrest and part of my seating area and my window person was just a jerk.

Worst flight ever.

ekz13

Accountablitiy for your own actions... there isn't any .. everyone blames everything on everyone else instead of saying...

Yep, I ****ed up..

KPhilbe

The reason the "Affordable Care" act is not so affordable is easy to understand.

Our government in their haste to create something quickly did not do their due diligence in negotiation the pricing. If you are a health care provider, expecting to be negotiated down (just like was done in all other contries with more successful programs) you come in with a high price so you can meet somewhere in the middle. When the government does not negotiate... and just accepts what is provided... you (the consumer) will pay a LOT more than you should have to.

8K - 10K for a family of 4 is unrealistic and is not affordable (what my approximate price on the exchange would be - also approximately 2.5 - 3 times more expensive than what I currently pay). The young will not be coming into the exchange to support the program and will simply pay their $95 annual penatly to the IRS, then your rates will continue to skyrocket as it is not self-unsupporting. All the while, unsupported families and individuals will continue to seek emergency room care (most expensive method) for medical care.

We can learn a lot from how this was supported by other countries, whether you favor the program or not.

jofjltncb6

We definitely should thank Obama. The first president to get health care through for tens of millions of people who aren't covered.

You sound like an other uniformed person who gets their news from talk radio or fake news.

"tens of millions"...let's say, 30,000,000...assuming they enroll at a rate of 6 per day...let's be optimistic and make it 10...means they'll be enrolled in just 3,000,000 days...or 8,219 years.

That's a fact.

PRMinx

We definitely should thank Obama. The first president to get health care through for tens of millions of people who aren't covered.

You sound like an other uniformed person who gets their news from talk radio or fake news.

"tens of millions"...let's say, 30,000,000...assuming they enroll at a rate of 6 per day...let's be optimistic and make it 10...means they'll be enrolled in just 3,000,000 days...or 8,219 years.

That's a fact.

:flowerforyou:

rml_16

"tens of millions"...let's say, 30,000,000...assuming they enroll at a rate of 6 per day...let's be optimistic and make it 10...means they'll be enrolled in just 3,000,000 days...or 8,219 years.

That's a fact.

The best part is all the people who had insurance and don't anymore and can't even get it!

jofjltncb6

"tens of millions"...let's say, 30,000,000...assuming they enroll at a rate of 6 per day...let's be optimistic and make it 10...means they'll be enrolled in just 3,000,000 days...or 8,219 years.

That's a fact.

The best part is all the people who had insurance and don't anymore and can't even get it!

Well, they can just get in line like everyone else...

...so it's fair.

PRMinx

"tens of millions"...let's say, 30,000,000...assuming they enroll at a rate of 6 per day...let's be optimistic and make it 10...means they'll be enrolled in just 3,000,000 days...or 8,219 years.

That's a fact.

The best part is all the people who had insurance and don't anymore and can't even get it!

Well, they can just get in line like everyone else...

...so it's fair.

Yep. And while they are waiting to sign up for coverage that costs more and covers less than the policies they previously had, they better hope they don't get sick or hurt. Sounds like a utopia to me!

rml_16

"tens of millions"...let's say, 30,000,000...assuming they enroll at a rate of 6 per day...let's be optimistic and make it 10...means they'll be enrolled in just 3,000,000 days...or 8,219 years.

That's a fact.

The best part is all the people who had insurance and don't anymore and can't even get it!

Well, they can just get in line like everyone else...

...so it's fair.

Yep. And while they are waiting to sign up for coverage that costs more and covers less than the policies they previously had, they better hope they don't get sick or hurt. Sounds like a utopia to me!

All praise the Affordable Care Act!

rosemary98

I think it is really sad. It is said that this generation of children in the US will be the first in history to not outlive their parents due to childhood obesity. It is sickening. We are talking about something 100% preventable...and yet we still argue whether or not it is a big deal.

If we were talking about HIV or brain cancer, we would all be like "what the hell...what are we doing to fix this?" but we don't really seem to care about obesity, do we? is it because it is a personal choice we don't care? I don't know.

jofjltncb6

I searched for the appropriate color of ribbon to express my support for obesity awareness...

...and found this instead:



Meh, I tried.