costlier health insurance for the obese?

thoughts?

yes....Yes.....YESSS.... why should we pay for the people eating their life away? taking up our resources, so we can pay for them....?

Did it ever occur to you to ask them or try to help them with their problem instead of just critiquing them about it

We were discussing this yesterday in Biology Class, and about some legislation that was passed (I think) regarding the amounts of saturated fats legally allowed in food. the question was "should we be able to pass legislation on the amount of fat in food? Why can't people make healthy nutrition decisions for themselves?" and the answer we came up with was the fact that people are often uneducated when it comes to making healthy lifestyle choices. Either that, or they don't have enough money to pay for healthy, low fat food. So I think that we should put more money toward either lowering the cost of healthy food or helping people get educated on how to live a healthy life, thus, lowering the need for high life insurance.

In the majority of the cases it is personal choice. If people are going to choose an unhealthy lifestyle, they will require more medical attention. Should that burden be placed on the backs of us through higher taxes? or should they have to pay for it themselves?

Why do we pay taxes for doctors to find a cure for cancer?
They are the ones who developed the disease, why should we help?
What I mean is that SOME obese people have disorders where they can't help but eat. SOME but not ALL. I agree for the most part but still, to say that they are the ones who messed up their life so therefore they should try to figure it out somehow doesn't seem entirely fair to me.

If they had to pay more for health care, then the obese would have more motivation to get help. Obese people shouldn't be the only ones who should have to pay more. Some others who should have to pay more are smokers and people vulnerable to aids and stuff.

Then is it fair to make people with cancer or nerve diseases pay more for their own treatment?

I do believe it is fair.

Even if there is no treatment and taxpayers must pay for research as a treatment?

If there is no treatment, then no. I am saying that if they are taking treatment and resources, they should have to pay for it

canadians vulnerable to aids?

I am in no place to say.

HannibalRoosevelt wrote:Then is it fair to make people with cancer or nerve diseases pay more for their own treatment?

That is sort of irrelevant to obese people screwing up their lives and having to pay for it... i mean, besides rolling around in nuclear waste, what could you do to bring "Cancer" upon yourself? if its something where you cant cope with a person ending a relationship so you eat, and it gets out of controll and your 800 pounds and cant move out of bed...you did that to yourself buddy, you should have to pay for your mistakes.

Just because someone is classified as "obese" doesn't mean they will need anymore medical attention than people who are of average body weight. Some people who are not obese have lots of health issues and need constant medical attention.

If we can ask this question about obesity, then why not put a spin on it and also include people who are underwieght and need special medical attention as well?

ohhh... that'll stir up the fire a little bit

The Orange Fender wrote:

HannibalRoosevelt wrote:Then is it fair to make people with cancer or nerve diseases pay more for their own treatment?

That is sort of irrelevant to obese people screwing up their lives and having to pay for it... i mean, besides rolling around in nuclear waste, what could you do to bring "Cancer" upon yourself? if its something where you cant cope with a person ending a relationship so you eat, and it gets out of controll and your 800 pounds and cant move out of bed...you did that to yourself buddy, you should have to pay for your mistakes.

Well it's not entirely irrelevent. As i said SOME obese people have a disorder where they cannot controll the disorder and all they do is eat, so if we wont help them, then why would we help people who have a disease like cancer that they can't controll?

lets just say its in the case of "self-inflicted" medical conditions.

then yes that is a different argument

I think that if the person simply cannot afford the cost because their job doesn't pay enough then i think the should get some help for it but if they do not have any source of income then i think that they should b on their own for it.

dirtdivr wrote:I think that if the person simply cannot afford the cost because their job doesn't pay enough then i think the should get some help for it but if they do not have any source of income then i think that they should b on their own for it.

So you're saying the people that are trampled on, the poor, the weak, the disabled, and mentally challenged people that cannot work shouldn't receive any benefits? yet the people that make money should? The people we think of as lower, the people we judge, the people we hate on.....shouldn't get an ounce of help from the well off? Lets let them rot. Sounds like a good idea. Give them nothing. We live a life of excess...but a tiny tax hike to either make or break those people is far too much for us. Lets just continue to roll around in our greed and selfishness. After all, everyone knows that the people that have nothing should be ignored. Jesus said something about that i think....or maybe not. The people who have no source of income should be left alone? Try telling that to one of them. Look straight into the eyes of a person burdened with a disability, a person unable or unfit to join the workforce, and tell them that. Say "Do it yourself. Don't Bother me" then drive away in your mercedes.

Try That.

the trouble is that obese people are a product of our culture. It's not just that they are eating too much, it's that they aren't getting enough exercise. the stereotypical north american goes to work for 8-10 hours a day doing nothing but sitting in a desk, then they come home and eat and watch TV. they either aren't motivated to live a healthy lifestyle, or they are so busy that they don't have time to. unless you are fortunate enough to be blessed with a high metabolism, you are going to have to find a way to live a lifestyle that allows you to remain active.

key word being "stereotypical"

This argument seems to be going a little far, to the point where people are starting to be rude. Im not saying these post's are meant to be rude, it may just look that way; but lets not forget that this "forum" can be taken away at any time.

Its darwinian theory; selective breeding. Survival of the fittest, if you will. The world is a cut throat place, and it should be designed for those who can afford their dialysis machines to thrive.