Obesity boom will cost tax payers

[Mark Latimour]

Originally Posted by Article

Obesity boom will cost tax payers

Soaring obesity levels look set to drain local health and public service budgets, which will mean higher taxes for all, experts warn.

Obesity could cost NHS in England £6.3bn by 2015 if no effective action is taken says the Department of Health.

Local councils in England and Wales are already shelling out tens of thousands of pounds on "fat-friendly" services, like widening crematoria furnaces.

This comes as work shows obesity levels may have been grossly underestimated.

The Local Government Association, which represents over 400 councils in England and Wales, says that Britain is fast becoming the "obesity capital of the world" and even more must be done to stop the nation's waistline continuing to expand.

Cllr David Rogers, LGA spokesperson on public health, said: "It's a massive issue for public health but it also risks placing an unprecedented amount of pressure on council services.

"Obesity is increasingly costing the council taxpayer dear. It falls to social services to care for the house-bound obese adults, to invest money in encouraging people to be active and to replace school furniture that is just too small for larger pupils.

"Council equipment and infrastructure is having to be modified to deal with a population that is getting larger and larger."

He called for a national debate about the extent to which it is acceptable.

Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum said "draconian" interventions were necessary. He warned that, as a nation, we are all getting fatter and risked early death as a result.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson said: "Nothing has changed in my mind about the seriousness of this threat to the country's future health.

"In England almost two-thirds of adults and a third of children are either overweight or obese.

"Without action this could rise to nine in 10 adults and two-thirds of children by 2050."

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7656214.stm

Obesity and also smoking costs, are they to healthcare what the "bailout" is to the financial sector? That is, the public paying for the "bad decisions" of a few?

[Phalex]

"That is, the public paying for the "bad decisions" of a few?"

"In England almost two-thirds of adults and a third of children are either overweight or obese."

How do you figure the public, which is apparently 2/3rds obese (Probably more are classified as over fat or some such) is paying for the "bad decisions of a few"?

2/3rds is the majority, and they are the public.

I'm guessing you're in the 1/3rd minority or you wouldn't have brought it up. How's it feel to not be normal??

[hover]

Wow, does this mean all the witty banter about America being a "nation of fatties" will die down, what with this new target, if not for just a little while? Good to finally see fat doesn't discriminate.

Wait, someone will claim it's contagious and an American brought it across the pond...."retaliation" for foot & mouth disease, don'tcha know.

[Mark Latimour]

Originally Posted by Phalex

"That is, the public paying for the "bad decisions" of a few?"

"In England almost two-thirds of adults and a third of children are either overweight or obese."

How do you figure the public, which is apparently 2/3rds obese (Probably more are classified as over fat or some such) is paying for the "bad decisions of a few"?

2/3rds is the majority, and they are the public.

I'm guessing you're in the 1/3rd minority or you wouldn't have brought it up. How's it feel to not be normal??

Read closely, 2/3 are either "overweight" or "obese", but its the "obsesity" which is causing the cost problems mentioned in the article. I doubt the number is 2/3's "obese", which is the leap you have made in your post.

[nortonrider]

I read somewhere that Austraila is now the fattest country.

[Unrepresented]

As petroleum prices force the cost of crops up, these fat citizens will supplement our food industry nicely.

Mmmmm... marbled....

[Selta]

Losing weight will net you better fuel mileage. Win win!

[Jiggybass]

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

Losing weight will net you better fuel mileage. Win win!

Haha +1

[MJ5150]

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

Losing weight will net you better fuel mileage. Win win!

I read a formula somewhere, maybe fueleconomy.gov, that shows how much your MPG goes down for how much weight is added to your car.

-Mike

[()smoke()]

i remember hearing about a certain particularly 'big-boned' fellow my age who got stuck in a desk in junior high...it took either vaseline or the jaws of life got him out, depending upon whom one consults on the matter

[spade2you]

Eh, between obesity and/or smoking, these individuals eat up a massive amount of tax dollars in healthcare expenditures. Without a doubt, it's CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP to live healthy than to be overweight and/or smoke. A strong majority of my patient population is overweight for the ortho surgeries (total hips and knees) and when pneumonia season rolls around virtually all of that patient population is or were smokers for a significant amount of time.

[Armueller2001]

I guess keeping yourself healthy and presentable is a concept that is rapidly disappearing.

[mvw356]

i think that obesity and smoking are bad for the healthcare system is a myth. the highest cost for any healthcare system is to take care of the elderly, 24/7 attention and surveillance is really a killer for the system. it's a proven fact that smokers and obese people die much younger than the healthy ones, so the system benefits as they contribute all their life and most likely die before they hit retirement age.

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by mvw356

i think that obesity and smoking are bad for the healthcare system is a myth. the highest cost for any healthcare system is to take care of the elderly, 24/7 attention and surveillance is really a killer for the system. it's a proven fact that smokers and obese people die much younger than the healthy ones, so the system benefits as they contribute all their life and most likely die before they hit retirement age.

Maybe where you're from, but not here. Yes, it's cheaper if you die quicker, BUT people don't always drop dead in the middle of the night. Modern medicine has the technology and meds to allow them to live longer, but isn't really preserving quality life. Nope, instead of a quick death, there is usually a series of hospital admit after hospital admit on the road to the grave. On average, one week in a hospital will often cost about as much as a year in a skilled nursing facility.

[MJ5150]

Originally Posted by Armueller2001

I guess keeping yourself healthy and presentable is a concept that is rapidly disappearing.

With todays technology, it sure is. No need to go to the movies with On Demand, groceries delivered to your home, many people can work from home now. You've got text messaging, instant messaging, message boards like this one, chat rooms, cyber sex, e-mail, on and on and on.

Like Jim Gaffigan says.....he is waiting for the Chinese or pizza delivery service that will start actually putting the food in your mouth for you now too!

-Mike