Obesity linked to rising U.S. healthcare costs

[jp...@oakspringwinery.com]

While obesity was responsible for 2% of all U.S. healthcare spending in
1987, it rose to 11.4% of all U.S. healthcare spending in 2002. Thus,
not only is obesity becoming a bigger problem in the U.S. medically,
financially it also taking a toll on our healthcare programs. I read
an article on health.dailynewscentral.com that attributes the rising
price of healthcare to the rising number of obese people in the U.S.
Just something interesting I thought you all might be interested in.
Check out the article:
http://health.dailynewscentral.com/content/view/0001146/31//obesity_linked_to_rising_healthcare_costs.html

-Jason Park

[Christopher Largen]

Jason,

Undoubtedly, obesity is a major issue in the U.S. However, I fear that our
legislators may use these staistics (and others) as an excuse to implement
policies that govern personal dietary choices, or create a Food Enforcement
Administration. After all, that's the strategy used with some drugs.

I can just hear the U.S. Attorney General proclaiming war on obesity (in
other words, obese people), while granting huge tax breaks to fast food
companies.

Christopher Largen
Author of JUNK (ENC Press, 2005)
and Prescription Pot (New Horizon Press, 2003)
www.waronjunk.com/warning.htm
www.prescriptionpot.com

[Sara]

I hope that insurance companies do make those who increase the
healthcare costs for all of us pay for more of their share. It is no
different than having a different healthcare premium for a smoker
versus a non-smoker, or expecting those under the age of 25 to pay
higher car insurance. My family works hard to stay healthy and maintain
a healthy weight despite our prior family history of obesity,
hypertension, and heart attacks. Should those who work hard to maintain
a healthy lifestyle have to pay for those who make poor nutritional
choices for themselves at every meal?

Congress would never support policy to govern what we eat, they would
probably do some combination of making the obese pay additional health
care fees/providing incentives or sudsidies to programs that promote
healthy weight loss/increasing taxes for businesses that do not offer a
certain percentage of healthy food choices.

I would like to see Americans empowered by taking their health into
their own hands. Certainly a part of this might be changing the media
that has an influence on our choices. Ultimately, we have only
ourselves to thank or blame for our condition.

Sara
Health News for Consumers
http://www.theinformedchef.com

[Christopher Largen]

Okay, let's consider the premise...

> I hope that insurance companies do make those who increase the
> healthcare costs for all of us pay for more of their share. It is no
> different than having a different healthcare premium for a smoker
> versus a non-smoker, or expecting those under the age of 25 to pay
> higher car insurance.

How should the classifications be applied, in your view? Will a person who
smokes 2 cigarettes a day be classified the same as a three packs per day
smoker? And how do we deal with the fact that different people have
different ideal weights?

> My family works hard to stay healthy and maintain
> a healthy weight despite our prior family history of obesity,
> hypertension, and heart attacks. Should those who work hard to maintain
> a healthy lifestyle have to pay for those who make poor nutritional
> choices for themselves at every meal?

Good point. It's an issue I cover in my book JUNK, in fact. It really
doesn't seem fair, does it?

> Congress would never support policy to govern what we eat.

I don't know. Look at what they've done with certain drugs.

> They would

> probably do some combination of making the obese pay additional health
> care fees/providing incentives or sudsidies to programs that promote
> healthy weight loss/increasing taxes for businesses that do not offer a
> certain percentage of healthy food choices.

What about employees who work sedentary jobs? Do we charge higher healthcare
rates to secretaries than we do to construction workers, for example?

> I would like to see Americans empowered by taking their health into
> their own hands.

I'm with you on this.

> Certainly a part of this might be changing the media
> that has an influence on our choices.

Could you envision advertising restrictions on junk food?

> Ultimately, we have only
> ourselves to thank or blame for our condition.

Agreed.

Sincerely,

Chris Largen
www.waronjunk.com (turn your speakers on)

[Dave]

Individual health plans (non-group) already "rate" or deny coverage for
overweight and obese individuals. The problem is exacerbated as
employers increasingly shift the burden of group health insurance costs
to employees and often eliminate family coverage. Things are
spirialing out of control as increasing obesity, leading to increasing
disease -diabetes, heart disease, etc.- leads to higher insurance
costs, leads to fewer employers providing it or increasing costs to
employees, leading to fewer able to get health insurance. As a nation,
we are going to have to deal with this on many levels. Even employers
will need to get involved, especially those whose jobs are sedentary.
I have seen offices set up with treadmills in front of computer work
stations to keep employees moving.
David
www.the-health-insurance-guide.com
www.cuthighcholesterol.com