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When are you people going to understand healthcare DOES NOT equal health insurance!?!?!
No where did I say health insurance. I simply meant health care.
Ok, let's skip health insurance then. How much have health CARE costs gone down since half of smokers quit? (Hint: It's been steadily rising faster than the rate of inflation and faster than overall GDP for years).
Don't you find that a little strange, considering that the health CARE cost of smokers was what was supposedly driving up overall costs and would supposedly lead to a reduction of those costs if enough of us quit?
It's crazy when you see examples of restaurant and fast food portions from the 1960's through 1980's and then today. Some of them are 3 times as large. A regular fry from McDonalds in the 1960's looks absolutey comical now, only because we've slowly been groomed to think a bucket of fries is normal to eat as a side dish for one of your three daily meals. One supersize fry has 1/3 of your calories and 1/2 of your fat for the day. It's intended to be a side dish to your main entree that you eat for one meal!!
I was at PF Chang's on Saturday with my BF's family because his sister graduated college this past weekend. We did the pre-fixed option where you get soup, an app to split, two entrees and then deserts (for two people). On top of that they gave us white and brown rice, and then we ordered two large servings of fried rice as well. I was STUFFED on my food, didn't even touch the fried rice, and then they come over asking about desert. Everyone is really full and groaning, but of course since it's included we all start ordering. I passed on the desert because I just plain didn't want it. I almost had to fight everyone pressuring me into getting the desert. "but it's INCLUDED in the price! You HAVE to get something! They're small, just do it. Do it". I held firm because I don't care if it's included, I didn't have any desire to eat the food. They found out we could get it to go and everyone was relieved and they got something to take home for themselves.
The amount of food eaten though was insane. It wasn't a meal out at a restaurant, they give you 3 times as much food as anyone would ever need to consume.
I tried to be good, got chicken and broc, egg drop soup, didn't have the fried rice and only had one of the apps, still though I just looked and it was 1,200 calories and 40 grams of fat. That's a majority of what I need for the day right there in one meal. The rest of them who got fried things for entrees, ate more apps, had fried rice and the desert were obviously WAY over their daily need for food. My BF's mom got the great wall of chocolate as well, which has well over a days worth of fat and calories just in itself.
But, in spite of all that, it's the fattie's fault and they should be punished by higher taxes and higher premiums and public scorn?
Hospitals are ripping out wall-mounted toilets and replacing them with floor models to better support obese patients. The Federal Transit Administration wants buses to be tested for the impact of heavier riders on steering and braking. Cars are burning nearly a billion gallons of gasoline more a year than if passengers weighed what they did in 1960.
Quote:
The additional medical spending due to obesity is double previous estimates and exceeds even those of smoking, a new study shows.
But, in spite of all that, it's the fattie's fault and they should be punished by higher taxes and higher premiums and public scorn?
Yes.
They weren't born that way.
And yes, we are excluding that fractional percent of people, who, through no fault of their own, were born with genetic or glandular disorders that resulted in morbid obesity. When you put a fat-body next to someone with a glandular/genetic disorder, you can readily distinguish them by their physical appearance. In other words, you can tell who drew the short straw and who is a pathetic slovenly pig.
That's why I want real health insurance. My risk of Type II Diabetes is ZERO because I have the unmitigated gall to go march up and down hills for an hour a day, or ride my 21-speed Genesis around for a few hours, plus I do Tai Chi every day (sometimes twice).
I ain't no Arnold Schwarzenegger, but damn at least I don't like I'm 8 months pregnant.
So why should I be punished financially and be forced to subsidize the life-styles and health care of the self-loathing?
Questioning...
Mircea
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jasper03
Heart disease is the #1cause of death in the U.S and most heart disease is related to lifestyle. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are the the major causes of heart disease. Patients with heart disease are the frequent fliers of the hospital. Once their diagnosed the hospital bed becomes a revolving door. I work on a cardiac floor in a large urban hospital on the East coast. I see a lot of the same non-compliant people over and over again. They don't control their blood sugars...don't comply with diet and fluid restrictions. Trying to control the blood sugar of an obese diabetic who gets pissy with you because it's not their fault their sugar is 400+ is aggravating. All of these interventions and dollars wasted to manage people who don't want to be educated or take any responsibility for their own lives. Yes keep the govt out of it. They will eat what they want...smoke...never exercise and no one better try to educate anyone. Yet when the chest pain hits or when the heart failure is exacerbated due to non- compliance run to the hospital and whip out your Medicaid/Medicare credit card and expect everyone to cater to you and pity you. All the while ignoring all MD advice and patient teaching from the nurses. If you have no insurance run up the bill and never pay it. File bankruptcy or pay the hospital the least you can until you die and leave them stuck with costs.
I've literally have had to ask patients to stop eating the crap their family smuggles in to them for just two minutes so I can check their blood sugar. When its inevitably high they whine about how we idiots are killing them. Meanwhile their bedside table is covered with piles of wrappers, bottles of juice and cans of soda...bread cold cuts etc in personal mini fridges (provided by the hospital because patients are now customers). Had a woman throw a family sized tub of Kozy Shack pudding on the floor because I wouldn't bring her fat a@@ a spoon after her blood sugar read HI on the glucometer. Yes, her sugar was so hi the meter couldn't read it. I'm sick of the non-ambulating fatties who get pissy with me because I will not try to pull them up in bed or take them to the bathroom unassisted. People really expect a 150lb nurse to be able to pull/pick up a huge person all by themselves and immediately with a smile. Sorry but I will be needing my back for when you are re-admitted in two weeks so get mad but if you weigh more than 200lbs you will WAIT or pee yourself while I round up the four to six (usually female) staff members it will take to move your big a@@.
This is a place where we don't have the ridiculous percentages of morbidly obese people that some regions of the country do because mass transit forces people to walk. Prior to becoming a nurse I worked in admissions for a college...I did walking tours of the campuses. The amount of out of towners who became short of breath and couldn't keep up with a mild stroll was sickening. They would laughingly confess that they drove everywhere and walking was anathema to them. These weren't even the morbidly obese. When I leave my state I am appalled at how huge a lot of the people in this country are. Riding all of those motorized scooters with oxygen tanks strapped to the back.
I agree the government should be kept out, since government does not need to be involved.
The [Free] Market works, provided there is no interference.
Let health plan providers charge market rates for those people who choose and insist on living unhealthy life-styles.
If they have to cancel the cable to pay for their health plan coverage, then too bad, so sad. Maybe now they'll start acting like humans.
But, in spite of all that, it's the fattie's fault and they should be punished by higher taxes and higher premiums and public scorn?
You guys will have to get some bigger ovens this time! Good thing there's lots of BTU's in fat guys!!!! You might try to run a HRSG and comeup with a renewable energy plan!!!
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