South Carolina to Cover Obesity Surgery Next Year(Govt.workers)

What if people were responsible for their own well-being?

As for your comment that this surgery will save money in the future - why not prevent morbid obesity BEFORE SURGERY IS EVEN NECESSARY: BEFORE OVER EATING!!!!!!

If you compare photos of men, women and children during the 1930-50s - to present day crowd scenes of Westerners; you have to ask “what happened?”

I have a hearing impairment. It costs me several grand to buy a pair of hearing aids which are a requirement for me to work and be productive.

This is a permanent physical disability with a big impact on the jobs and where I can work. Few employers are willing to take a risk on me.

So why are we paying for something that is a choice, obesity, and not for a disability, something for which I have no control over?

Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather no money go for anything, but if I’m going to be paying, I sure as heck want it to go to disabled folks, not to people who overeat.

That is true in the short term but what about long term? Or actually dealing with the problem that placed people in the position of being obese?

I don't have any studies to back this up, so this is just anecdotal speak. I've known five people to have the surgery. Out of the five, four of them are slowly starting to approach their previous weight and their health ailments are returning after about 5 years. They aren't as obese as before but they are well on their way and what will happen in another five years? if I was a gambling man, my money would say they will be back exactly where they were or maybe worse. Yes, they all lost weight quickly, ate a special diet at first and shaped up well. Then slowly but surely four out of the five went back to their old dietary habits of junk-food, empty-calorie, carbohydrate dominated diets. The one lady who has been successful after about 3.5 years post-op wasn't obese IMHO but definitely overweight. She continues to eat food that are a lot better than she used, unlike the other folks I know.

I personally think and believe that if the folks changed their lives by changing their eating habits a lot the overweight/obese problems would take care of itself. Most people who are obese don't have thyroid problems, etc. If you look at their diets, they aren't exactly eating fresh fruits, vegetables , whole grains and lean meats. They are eating mostly things like twinkies, candy bars, pizza, burgers, fries, sugar sodas, etc. Even though, the patients supposedly get counseling and dietary assistance for a short amount of time, eventually the people I've know slowly go back to their old ways.

People who pay for insurance ARE being responsible for their own well-being.

Tell me how you would prevent morbid obesity. Who will have the authority to tell us what, how much, & how often we eat? Would you be more comfortable with the Pubs making those decisions for you, or the Rats? Perhaps a Czar? Maybe your doctor can prescribe a diet for you, & that is all you are allowed to buy & eat? If you violate the diet, is that a misdemeanor or a felony?

Please recall the phrase “totalitarian dictatorship” while pondering the above.

How will prevention help the many obese people now? Should we let them all die by denying them health care?

As for differences between then & now:

Air conditioning
TV & electronic entertainment
No Physical Ed. in schools

When I was a kid, we had no A/C at home. TV was 3 snowy channels. The house was warm & stuffy, with way too much cooking & cleaning going one. My mother's favorite saying was, “If you can't find something to do, I'll find you something to do”. Translation: Go outside, now, & don't come back until I ring the bell for dinner!

We made our toys: tommy guns, go carts, forts, tree-houses, skim-boards. I had more (wooden) sword fights than Errol Flynn. We made up games when we were tired of baseball or football. We rode bikes way, way beyond our parental boundaries. In short, we burned a ton of calories.

At school, we had real PE. Calisthenics, sit-ups, push-ups, & running the obstacle course, followed by baseball, football, or basketball. Showers were mando. I walked about a mile to school lugging a trumpet & books. Many more calories burnt.

Today, I see the kids strolling around the school yard talking or texting on their phones. At home, it is phone, TV, and/or video games.

Is it any wonder children are fat & lazy, & go on to become fat & lazy adults?

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