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

Siansonea

I get your point about people with no particular reason judging others for obesity but let me tell you why people at the coal face of health care are concerned. I work in a smallish publicly funded hospital. Over the last couple of years we have spent thousands of dollars (AU) on new bariatric equipment to cope with our growing obesity problem - beds, wheelchairs, scales, toilets, blood pressure cuffs, operating tables, patient handling equipment - but we still dont have enough to cope. A new policy is being developed (apparantly) where if a ward has two or more patients of a high BMI they will have to close beds because each of those obese patients need more nursing staff to look after them and that means there arent enough nurses to go around. My colleague is now on the waiting list for back surgery because she had to lift up an obese ladies leg in order to insert a urinary catheter. The patient was to obese to get to the toilet, the reason for her immobility was obesity and no other condition.

Replicate this over every hospital in every health care system in every part of the western world and you have a phenomenal problem.

The problem is that people don't make any distinction between immobile morbidly obese persons (who clearly have other issues the lead to their situation), and your average person who is 50-100 pounds overweight. There's a big difference between these conditions, but people act like if you're 50 pounds overweight, you're as bad as the 500 pound person who can't even walk. And even those morbidly obese people shouldn't be treated like lepers, there is a human being there who needs help. Yes, the mechanism whereby their condition develops is "voluntary", but really, is it? :huh:

nikilis

1. because its crippling the health services and costing billions more in tax for the consumer.

2. people are starving in the poorest parts of the world, whilst the developed world are obese.

3. Its going to shorten the lives of a lot of people, but I guess thats natural selection.

Don't agree. I rarely see an obese child anywhere tbh.

obesity in the 60's (before high fructose corn syrup) was at around 2-5% in developed countries.

now its 30% on average in the developed world.

what you see isn't really important. statistically obesity and of course including obesity in children has increased 6 fold.

theres a lot of money to be made through obesity. the food industry is only looking at the bottom line, and no one has any education.


"THATS WHY EVERYONE NEEDS TO TALK ABOUT IT" - Wise Words from Captain Obvious






Your like "why is everyone always talking bout prostate cancer, I don't care about prostate cancer, I care about the person"

if you care about the person.... you don't want them to die from prostate cancer, right?

AWARENESS!

Siansonea

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.

Old people are a real pain the a** too then.

Except aging isn't preventable.. Unless you kill people off before they get old. Try again.

So should we throw people in jail for being overweight? :huh:

How did you make that leap? I never suggested such a ridiculous thing.

So what's your point then? You seem really miffed that you're "paying more than your share" because obese people are freeloading on government sponsored healthcare or whatever. ::shrug::

I didn't say it's not a problem. But I didn't say they should be put in jail. Get a grip lady.

So, you got nothing, basically. :huh:

I've got plenty. I wasn't going to dignify your bad attitude and rude responses ..While I'm here though I'll point out I live in Canada where we have free (well taxes pay for it) health care and I don't have a problem paying taxes for ANYONE to get health care no matter what the reason for that need may be. Whether it's because they smoke, are obese, enjoy jumping in front of trains or whatever.. it's not about personal greed. But I'm sure there would be extra tax money to spend elsewhere as a whole if less people were obese, smoked, etc. My concern is more about the welfare of the people though.. there are so many diseases and yes, early deaths, associated with obesity, and I'm sure many families are affected emotionally by the toll it takes (not to mention those who are obese themselves). If it's possible to reduce the problem, why not? Wouldn't it be a GOOD thing if less people died too early?? There should be more education and emphasis on activity, especially with children so that they learn good lifelong habits early on.

If it's possible to reduce the problem, then yes, let's do whatever that is. Unless that solution is "let's make all the fat people feel bad for being health care freeloaders" because in addition to being a-hole-ish, I'm thinking it's not bound to be very effective. Early education? Thumbs up! Adult education? Thumbs up! Laugh at point at the fattie? No. And all too often the "concern" I see for the obesity epidemic seems to be thinly veiled laughing and pointing at the fattie. I don't like it.

wild_wild_life

Your like "why is everyone always talking bout prostate cancer, I don't care about prostate cancer, I care about the person"

if you care about the person.... you don't want them to die from prostate cancer, right?

That's what I was trying to say...but then again everyone is just a prostate to me.

health1971

OH But I beg to differ from you ! I also differ with facts not opinions the primary reason people get sick when they get old is due to lack of a healthy life style either currently or when they were younger ! We all have choices and I choose to be healthy not fat and not drunk and not smoking and not sitting around watching TV ! Yes I would say possible as few as 15% of older people are actually sick due to issues they have no control over ! So stop making non factual statements and educate yourself as to the new medicine called anti aging ! It is real and it is out there and is is more affordable that treating unhealthy older people ! I am 54 going on 38 and I will defy most 35 year old men to keep up with me in the gym or any other aspect of life because I choose to be healthy ! even with blood clots a hip implant and pins in bones and shot when in the Marines I now live a healthy life style and turn back the hands of time every day my feet hot the floor !

So stop gripping and get off your butt and be active and eat health and drink plain old water one of the best medicians you can ingest !
[/quote]


^^^THIS^^^

P.s. Thank you for your service :flowerforyou: ...

Siansonea

Quote fail. :laugh:

And it was just as Faulknerian the second time around.

funkyspunky872

Your like "why is everyone always talking bout prostate cancer, I don't care about prostate cancer, I care about the person"

if you care about the person.... you don't want them to die from prostate cancer, right?

AWARENESS!

I don't blame the person with prostate cancer for having cancer. I don't judge the person because he has cancer and automatically assume he got the cancer because he didn't take care of himself or because he wants to die early. I also don't complain endlessly about my tax dollars perhaps going towards his chemotherapy.

Plus I don't constantly berate the man for allowing himself to get cancer when they're so many preventive measures to be taken.

serendipity57

No I don't care about other peoples diet or weight if they are happy with themselves, although I don't believe they really are. I do care about MY diet and weight because I feel absoloutely AMAZING and love my life now!!!!
And in the words of "forrest gump" ......that's all I have to say about that.............

VBnotbitter

I get your point about people with no particular reason judging others for obesity but let me tell you why people at the coal face of health care are concerned. I work in a smallish publicly funded hospital. Over the last couple of years we have spent thousands of dollars (AU) on new bariatric equipment to cope with our growing obesity problem - beds, wheelchairs, scales, toilets, blood pressure cuffs, operating tables, patient handling equipment - but we still dont have enough to cope. A new policy is being developed (apparantly) where if a ward has two or more patients of a high BMI they will have to close beds because each of those obese patients need more nursing staff to look after them and that means there arent enough nurses to go around. My colleague is now on the waiting list for back surgery because she had to lift up an obese ladies leg in order to insert a urinary catheter. The patient was to obese to get to the toilet, the reason for her immobility was obesity and no other condition.

Replicate this over every hospital in every health care system in every part of the western world and you have a phenomenal problem.

The problem is that people don't make any distinction between immobile morbidly obese persons (who clearly have other issues the lead to their situation), and your average person who is 50-100 pounds overweight. There's a big difference between these conditions, but people act like if you're 50 pounds overweight, you're as bad as the 500 pound person who can't even walk. And even those morbidly obese people shouldn't be treated like lepers, there is a human being there who needs help. Yes, the mechanism whereby their condition develops is "voluntary", but really, is it? :huh:

When you are looking at health care costs there is no difference between someone 100 pounds overweight or 300 pounds overweight. They are still to heavy for standard equipment. For example young women go into hospital to have a baby, none of them have any underlying health issues. 1 is healthy weight, 1 is 100 lbs overweight and the other is 300 pounds overweight. Care for the healthy weight woman will cost significantly less than for the other two as standard equipment can be used.

Also where did I indicate that the morbidly obese patients would be treated like lepers. In MY experience they are treated with the same dignity and respect as anyone else, and there is often a lot of sympathy and understanding of the reasons they got in that position in the first place.

Siansonea

I get your point about people with no particular reason judging others for obesity but let me tell you why people at the coal face of health care are concerned. I work in a smallish publicly funded hospital. Over the last couple of years we have spent thousands of dollars (AU) on new bariatric equipment to cope with our growing obesity problem - beds, wheelchairs, scales, toilets, blood pressure cuffs, operating tables, patient handling equipment - but we still dont have enough to cope. A new policy is being developed (apparantly) where if a ward has two or more patients of a high BMI they will have to close beds because each of those obese patients need more nursing staff to look after them and that means there arent enough nurses to go around. My colleague is now on the waiting list for back surgery because she had to lift up an obese ladies leg in order to insert a urinary catheter. The patient was to obese to get to the toilet, the reason for her immobility was obesity and no other condition.

Replicate this over every hospital in every health care system in every part of the western world and you have a phenomenal problem.

The problem is that people don't make any distinction between immobile morbidly obese persons (who clearly have other issues the lead to their situation), and your average person who is 50-100 pounds overweight. There's a big difference between these conditions, but people act like if you're 50 pounds overweight, you're as bad as the 500 pound person who can't even walk. And even those morbidly obese people shouldn't be treated like lepers, there is a human being there who needs help. Yes, the mechanism whereby their condition develops is "voluntary", but really, is it? :huh:

When you are looking at health care costs there is no difference between someone 100 pounds overweight or 300 pounds overweight. They are still to heavy for standard equipment. For example young women go into hospital to have a baby, none of them have any underlying health issues. 1 is healthy weight, 1 is 100 lbs overweight and the other is 300 pounds overweight. Care for the healthy weight woman will cost significantly less than for the other two as standard equipment can be used.

Also where did I indicate that the morbidly obese patients would be treated like lepers. In MY experience they are treated with the same dignity and respect as anyone else, and there is often a lot of sympathy and understanding of the reasons they got in that position in the first place.

I was talking about people in general, not the health care professionals you work with. I don't know anything about that specific group of people, obviously. :huh:

VBnotbitter

I get your point about people with no particular reason judging others for obesity but let me tell you why people at the coal face of health care are concerned. I work in a smallish publicly funded hospital. Over the last couple of years we have spent thousands of dollars (AU) on new bariatric equipment to cope with our growing obesity problem - beds, wheelchairs, scales, toilets, blood pressure cuffs, operating tables, patient handling equipment - but we still dont have enough to cope. A new policy is being developed (apparantly) where if a ward has two or more patients of a high BMI they will have to close beds because each of those obese patients need more nursing staff to look after them and that means there arent enough nurses to go around. My colleague is now on the waiting list for back surgery because she had to lift up an obese ladies leg in order to insert a urinary catheter. The patient was to obese to get to the toilet, the reason for her immobility was obesity and no other condition.

Replicate this over every hospital in every health care system in every part of the western world and you have a phenomenal problem.

The problem is that people don't make any distinction between immobile morbidly obese persons (who clearly have other issues the lead to their situation), and your average person who is 50-100 pounds overweight. There's a big difference between these conditions, but people act like if you're 50 pounds overweight, you're as bad as the 500 pound person who can't even walk. And even those morbidly obese people shouldn't be treated like lepers, there is a human being there who needs help. Yes, the mechanism whereby their condition develops is "voluntary", but really, is it? :huh:

When you are looking at health care costs there is no difference between someone 100 pounds overweight or 300 pounds overweight. They are still to heavy for standard equipment. For example young women go into hospital to have a baby, none of them have any underlying health issues. 1 is healthy weight, 1 is 100 lbs overweight and the other is 300 pounds overweight. Care for the healthy weight woman will cost significantly less than for the other two as standard equipment can be used.

Also where did I indicate that the morbidly obese patients would be treated like lepers. In MY experience they are treated with the same dignity and respect as anyone else, and there is often a lot of sympathy and understanding of the reasons they got in that position in the first place.

I was talking about people in general, not the health care professionals you work with. I don't know anything about that specific group of people, obviously. :huh:

Maybe you were but the OP was complaining about reading about the obesity epidemic and why should anyone care what size anyone else is. I was explaining a reason as to why people should care about it. The first line I wrote said I got that the general population shouldnt be judgemental.

nikilis

Your like "why is everyone always talking bout prostate cancer, I don't care about prostate cancer, I care about the person"

if you care about the person.... you don't want them to die from prostate cancer, right?

AWARENESS!

I don't blame the person with prostate cancer for having cancer. I don't judge the person because he has cancer and automatically assume he got the cancer because he didn't take care of himself or because he wants to die early. I also don't complain endlessly about my tax dollars perhaps going towards his chemotherapy.

Plus I don't constantly berate the man for allowing himself to get cancer when they're so many preventive measures to be taken.

what is it you do exactly? I'm not sure you know quite what you are talking about.

ctalimenti

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 am a nurse an have known several nurses who have been injured caring for overweight patients. Just a matter of time when the nurse is able to sue the patient.

servilia

Your like "why is everyone always talking bout prostate cancer, I don't care about prostate cancer, I care about the person"

if you care about the person.... you don't want them to die from prostate cancer, right?

AWARENESS!

I don't blame the person with prostate cancer for having cancer. I don't judge the person because he has cancer and automatically assume he got the cancer because he didn't take care of himself or because he wants to die early. I also don't complain endlessly about my tax dollars perhaps going towards his chemotherapy.

Plus I don't constantly berate the man for allowing himself to get cancer when they're so many preventive measures to be taken.

You're right. It's easy to prevent cancer.

geekyjock76

Equating aging with obesity is just brilliant. The financial costs due to absenteeism and presenteeism isn't an aging issue - it's one brought by the negative health outcomes which stem from those being overly fat.

BuzzardMarinePumper

Drivers who avoid accidents get better car insurance rates.

Life insurance is absolutely cheaper for healthier people than it is for unhealthy people.

Up to a certain age - we all eventually start falling apart - I have no problem with health insurance premiums tied to individual health metrics.

That makes no sense your profile indicates you have bad knees due to you are heavy and you are negative to almost every post made the requires life style change ! Humans do not come with an out if date stamp ! Anti aging median is real and it works I promise you are 48 and un healthy by your own profile and I am 54 and healthier thn you so explain that one Mr Knoght ?

ctalimenti

I get your point about people with no particular reason judging others for obesity but let me tell you why people at the coal face of health care are concerned. I work in a smallish publicly funded hospital. Over the last couple of years we have spent thousands of dollars (AU) on new bariatric equipment to cope with our growing obesity problem - beds, wheelchairs, scales, toilets, blood pressure cuffs, operating tables, patient handling equipment - but we still dont have enough to cope. A new policy is being developed (apparantly) where if a ward has two or more patients of a high BMI they will have to close beds because each of those obese patients need more nursing staff to look after them and that means there arent enough nurses to go around. My colleague is now on the waiting list for back surgery because she had to lift up an obese ladies leg in order to insert a urinary catheter. The patient was to obese to get to the toilet, the reason for her immobility was obesity and no other condition.

Replicate this over every hospital in every health care system in every part of the western world and you have a phenomenal problem.

The problem is that people don't make any distinction between immobile morbidly obese persons (who clearly have other issues the lead to their situation), and your average person who is 50-100 pounds overweight. There's a big difference between these conditions, but people act like if you're 50 pounds overweight, you're as bad as the 500 pound person who can't even walk. And even those morbidly obese people shouldn't be treated like lepers, there is a human being there who needs help. Yes, the mechanism whereby their condition develops is "voluntary", but really, is it? :huh:

When you are looking at health care costs there is no difference between someone 100 pounds overweight or 300 pounds overweight. They are still to heavy for standard equipment. For example young women go into hospital to have a baby, none of them have any underlying health issues. 1 is healthy weight, 1 is 100 lbs overweight and the other is 300 pounds overweight. Care for the healthy weight woman will cost significantly less than for the other two as standard equipment can be used.

Also where did I indicate that the morbidly obese patients would be treated like lepers. In MY experience they are treated with the same dignity and respect as anyone else, and there is often a lot of sympathy and understanding of the reasons they got in that position in the first place.

I was talking about people in general, not the health care professionals you work with. I don't know anything about that specific group of people, obviously. :huh:

Maybe you were but the OP was complaining about reading about the obesity epidemic and why should anyone care what size anyone else is. I was explaining a reason as to why people should care about it. The first line I wrote said I got that the general population shouldnt be judgemental.

I am a home care nurse and can pick and choose who I care for. Like I said in an above post, I've known too many of us who have been injured caring for overweight patients. I will not accept an overweight patient. This is my livelihood and I can't risk it.

HollisGrant

Tax dollars. :grumble:

Yes, tax dollars are a reason to care (as in Medicare and other programs). Our taxes pay for heart attacks, diabetes, coronary bypass surgeries, and cancer treatment. Researchers believe being overweight is one of the major risk factors for many cancers.

In general, I don't care what my friends and neighbors eat. I do care about the mistreatment of animals in factory farms, though. That's all part of the deliberate blindness people choose to have. I live two blocks from a McDonald's and see huge people walking in there all the time, shoving fat food in their face, not asking where it came from, what's in it, or how it will affect their health.

Many of my neighbors are enormous. People eat for entertainment, not nutrition. People don't exercise -- they ride on mowers and blow leaves instead of raking them. They're also passive, sit around and watch TV all the time. Being huge is the new normal in America. Since I've been losing weight, I've been asked if I'm seriously ill (I'm 4 pounds into medically normal instead of overweight for my height). So yes, there is an obesity epidemic and it does matter in many ways.

Ophidion

1. because its crippling the health services and costing billions more in tax for the consumer.

2. people are starving in the poorest parts of the world, whilst the developed world are obese.

3. Its going to shorten the lives of a lot of people, but I guess thats natural selection.

Don't agree. I rarely see an obese child anywhere tbh.

obesity in the 60's (before high fructose corn syrup) was at around 2-5% in developed countries.

now its 30% on average in the developed world.

what you see isn't really important. statistically obesity and of course including obesity in children has increased 6 fold.

theres a lot of money to be made through obesity. the food industry is only looking at the bottom line, and no one has any education.


"THATS WHY EVERYONE NEEDS TO TALK ABOUT IT" - Wise Words from Captain Obvious






Your like "why is everyone always talking bout prostate cancer, I don't care about prostate cancer, I care about the person"

if you care about the person.... you don't want them to die from prostate cancer, right?

AWARENESS!

QFT^

Besides costs is it a bad thing to be concerned about the well being of others...I think not.

Ultimately people are responsible for themselves but education/prevention is a much better method than treatment.

ETA: I am not the sort of individual that would interfere or offer unsolicited advice to people.

carolina822

I think you're right that people tend to be judgemental about obesity in a way that they are not judgemental about cancer, for instance. It is seen more as a personal failure than other health problems, so the outcry about the "obesity epidemic" can seem more like people sticking their nose into something that is not their business. But if you look at it from a more detached viewpoint, it makes sense that there would be concern about it just like there would be a concern if 1 in 3 Americans had cancer, heart disease, or an itchy rash. I hope in time as everyone becomes more educated about it, the judgmental aspect of it will be lessened.

Agreed, but you can't walk around with cancer or heart disease for long without the ill effects on your health becoming apparent. I'm not saying morbid obesity is harmless, but even people who are 50 pounds overweight can be perfectly healthy according to objective health measures, and giving someone the stinkeye when you can't tell whether they're on the way up or on the way down in weight is pretty lame.

As much as people claim it's about concern for health and tax dollars, I firmly believe that a lot of it derives from wanting somebody to feel superior to because of aesthetics and class snobbery. Perhaps not for those on a fitness website for the most part, but for a lot of people in the general population.