Calling in Fat

The Center for Consumer Freedom ^ | March 26, 2007

[Eric Blair 2084]

Stomach aches, sore throats, and hacking coughs are standard excuses for calling in sick, but a recent report released by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts hints that employees' obesity may soon make the list.

Using data from only a handful of companies in Texas, the study claims that obese employees cost state businesses billions, mostly in the form of health care bills, decreased productivity, and absenteeism. As a means of addressing the issue, the report concludes: "Ultimately, of course, only the individual can be held accountable for the lifestyle choices he or she makes."

But take this lip-service statement with a grain of salt (before sodium becomes a controlled substance).

The main author of the paper, Susan Combs, hardly has a track record of championing personal responsibility. As a former Texas agricultural commissioner, her policy initiatives like state-wide school cupcake bans and french fry fines gave credence to her self-proclaimed nickname of "food czarina."

The nutrition-based mission of the agriculture department offered her free rein to conduct her obesity witch hunt. But despite a recent change in job title -- from Ag Commissioner to Comptroller -- her new department's report is proof that her single-minded focus on the state's waistlines has not changed.

Representing a hodgepodge of unrelated statistics, the study is a political concoction, which would never pass the scrutiny of the scientific community. The authors consecutively build the economic cost of obesity by adding separate calculations from unrelated studies.

Not only are their methods unscrupulous, they are also inaccurate. The same approach employed by the study could be used to claim that two of the L.A. Lakers' starting five players must be short, by applying statistics from a study which found that 40 percent of men in California were less than 6 feet tall.

[Eric Blair 2084]

The full bogus study is in the last hyperlink, but I'll reproduce it here as well:

Counting Costs and Calories; Measuring the Cost of Obesity to Texas Employers

And of course you had to love the obligatory alarmist quote from the Former Surgeon General/Current Arizona Day Spa Employee:

"Obesity is the terror within. Unless we do something about it, the magnitude of the dilemna will dwarf 9/11 or any other terrorist attempt."

Dr. Richard Carmona, Arizona Day Spa Massage Therapist

[Eric Blair 2084]

Big Brother, Nanny State, Grant Junky, Bogus Study, Junk Science, Social Engineering, Sheeple Control, Health Nazi Ping!!!

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We the People Sheeple of the United States Nanny State, in Order to form a more perfect Union Socialist Utopia, establish Justice Socially engineer a country of non smoking, physically fit, tea totallers, insure domestic Tranquility Smoking bans in bars, limits on unhealthy food and social drinking, provide for the common defense Universal Healthcare, promote the general Welfare health of the population whether they like it or not, in order to save above mentioned Universal Healthcare entitlement program from bankruptcy, and secure the Blessings of Liberty Dependency to ourselves progressive liberals and our Posterity Hitler Youth who we brainwash through public school education, do ordain decree and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Nanny State of Liberals.

[ronnie raygun]

I heard Murtha called in dead once!

[ronnie raygun]

I heard Murtha called in dead once!

[dforest]

Oh Rosie...Oh Rosie...calling all fat in....

[CindyDawg]

Calling in sick and tired of this.

[Farmer Dean]

Just from the neck up.

[glorgau]

From Animal House:

"Fat, Drunk, And Stupid Is No Way To Go Through Life, Son".

[dragonblustar]

Rosie?

[boop]

It's going to be interesting when this takes hold and what laws will be passed against eating certain foods. Since smokers are a relatively small percentage of the population, it has been easy for the lifestyle nazis to take away their freedoms. Will they get away with it as easily with food? It will eventually happen, I'm afraid.

[AmericaUnited]

So what, you believe very obese people somehow are healthy and don't have significant health problems from their obesity?

[rob21]

If people want to be fat and disgusting, that's their own problem.

[Gabz]

Once a Nanny, always a nanny.

Nanny State Ping!

In Texas, no less...........

[elkfersupper]

I'm becoming increasingly certain that the goal of these kooks is to take us all back to subsistence farming and outhouses.

A natural outgrowth would be for some of us to make our own booze and grow our own tobacco as well.

[elkfersupper]

So what, you believe very obese people somehow are healthy and don't have significant health problems from their obesity?

It's an emergency! A CRISIS! The federal government has to step in and be sure we all eat right and exercise (meanwhile taking 50% of our income-for now).

[editor-surveyor]

I heard that Girl Scout Cookies were next ;o)

[Eric Blair 2084]

So what, you believe very obese people somehow are healthy and don't have significant health problems from their obesity?

Of course it causes health problems. Diabetes, hypertension, hypoglycemia, high blood pressure, heart attacks. I guess the question is what if anything should the Gubmint do about it? Any ideas?

[Eric Blair 2084]

I'm becoming increasingly certain that the goal of these kooks is to take us all back to subsistence farming and outhouses.

elk, trust me when I tell you that it only seems that way. The agenda afflicted here are only worried about one thing...and it's about color...and the color is green.

Just for example, in NY City Medicaid health spending now makes up over 33% of the budget. The baby boomers haven't even gotten into their high health care cost guzzling years yet. By 2015 they estimate that Medicaid costs will make up over half the budget.

Why do you think they are agitating for things like trans fat bans and food zoning or twinkie taxes. They may be Fascists but they're not stupid...they see financial ruin around the corner. Lower bond ratings, bankruptcy. That is really what this is all about.

I don't have to tell you that the grant junkies who make their living trying to produce studies that cab allow these policymakers to justify the taking of rights are interested in.

[Eric Blair 2084]

If people want to be fat and disgusting, that's their own problem.

We'll make a deal with Teddy, if he leaves everyone else alone, he can eat as many fried cheese curds as he wants.

[Gabz]

A natural outgrowth would be for some of us to make our own booze and grow our own tobacco as well.

I already do :-)