One case in point was the fiasco of the tobacco lawsuits. The attorneys involved became instant multimillionaires. Judges completely trashed the rights of American corporations and consumers. Unscrupulous tax and spend legislators allowed the foolishness to go forward because it gave them permission to levy yet another heavy tax. Everyone won. Except the average American consumer, that is. Consumers got the bill in the form of yet another hidden tax.
The corrupters of the courts wanted to see if unprincipled judges would allow the frivolous cases, and they did. So, here come the fat police. Their first scam worked.
In between crying about global hunger, the World Health Organization declares obesity a global epidemic.
The lawsuits have already started.
With self determination comes responsibility for what you put in your mouth.
If we are going to allow lawsuits "for the children," we should sue government schools.
Ben & Jerry's!? Those dioxin purveyors?
("The study shows that the level of dioxin in a sample serving of one variety of Ben & Jerry's brand ice cream is about 2,200 times greater than the level of dioxin allowed in wastewater discharged into San Francisco Bay from the Tosco oil refinery." study)
And the people are going to come out of the woodwork to get some money.
Litigate ourselves into oblivion. This is going to be fun to watch.
Here are some numbers to chew over from the surgeon general's office:
The primary concern of overweight and obesity is one of health and not appearance.
PREMATURE DEATH
An estimated 300,000 deaths per year may be attributable to obesity.
The risk of death rises with increasing weight. Individuals who are obese (BMI > 30)* have a 50 to 100% increased risk of premature death from all causes, compared to individuals with a healthy weight.
HEART DISEASE
The incidence of heart disease (heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina or chest pain, and abnormal heart rhythm) is increased in persons who are overweight or obese (BMI > 25).*
High blood pressure is twice as common in adults who are obese than in those who are at a healthy weight. Obesity is associated with elevated triglycerides (blood fat) and decreased HDL cholesterol ("good cholesterol").
DIABETES
A weight gain of 11 to 18 pounds increases a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes to twice that of individuals who have not gained weight.
Over 80% of people with diabetes are overweight or obese.
CANCER
Overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk for some types of cancer including endometrial (cancer of the lining of the uterus), colon, gall bladder, prostate, kidney, and postmenopausal breast cancer.
Women gaining more than 20 pounds from age 18 to midlife double their risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, compared to women whose weight remains stable.
BREATHING PROBLEMS
Sleep apnea (interrupted breathing while sleeping) is more common in obese persons.
Obesity is associated with a higher prevalence of asthma.
ARTHRITIS
For every 2-pound increase in weight, the risk of developing arthritis is increased by 9 to 13%. Symptoms of arthritis can improve with weight loss.
REPRODUCTIVE COMPLICATIONS
Complications of pregnancy
Obesity during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of death in both the baby and the mother and increases the risk of maternal high blood pressure by 10 times.
In addition to many other complications, women who are obese during pregnancy are more likely to have gestational diabetes and problems with labor and delivery.
Infants born to women who are obese during pregnancy are more likely to be high birthweight and, therefore, may face a higher rate of Cesarean section delivery and low blood sugar (which can be associated with brain damage and seizures).
Obesity during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of birth defects, particularly neural tube defects, such as spina bifida.
ADDITIONAL HEALTH CONSEQUENCES
Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risks of gall bladder disease, incontinence, increased surgical risk, and depression.
Obesity can affect the quality of life through limited mobility and decreased physical endurance as well as through social, academic, and job discrimination.
CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
Risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, occur with increased frequency in overweight children and adolescents compared to those with a healthy weight.
Type 2 diabetes, previously considered an adult disease, has increased dramatically in children and adolescents. Overweight and obesity are closely linked to type 2 diabetes.
Overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults. This increases to 80% if one or more parent is overweight or obese.
The most immediate consequence of overweight, as perceived by children themselves, is social discrimination.
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_consequences.htm
Economic Costs Related to Overweight and Obesity
As the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased in the United States, so have related health care costs--both direct and indirect.
Direct health care costs refer to preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services (for example, physician visits, medications, and hospital and nursing home care).
Indirect costs are the value of wages lost by people unable to work because of illness or disability, as well as the value of future earnings lost by premature death.
Q: What is the cost of overweight and obesity?
A: Total cost: $99.2 billion
Direct cost: $51.6 billion (5.7 percent of the U.S. health expenditure)
Indirect cost: $47.6 billion (comparable to the economic costs of cigarette smoking)
What is the cost of heart disease related to overweight and obesity?
A: Direct cost related to overweight and obesity: $6.99 billion (17 percent of the $40.4 billion total direct cost of heart disease, independent of stroke)
Q: What is the cost of type 2 diabetes related to overweight and obesity?
A: Total cost related to overweight and obesity: $63.14 billion (more than 60 percent of the total cost of type 2 diabetes)
Direct cost: $32.4 billion Indirect cost: $30.74 billion
Q: What is the cost of osteoarthritis related to overweight and obesity?
A: Total cost related to overweight and obesity: $17.2 billion
Direct cost: $4.3 billion Indirect cost: $12.9 billion
Q: What is the cost of hypertension (high blood pressure) related to overweight and obesity?
A: Direct cost related to overweight and obesity: $3.23 billion (17 percent of the total cost of hypertension)
Q: What is the cost of cancer related to overweight and obesity?
A: Post-menopausal breast cancer
Total cost related to overweight and obesity: $2.32 billion Direct cost: $840 million Indirect cost: $1.48 billion Endometrial cancer Total cost related to overweight and obesity: $790 million Direct cost: $286 million Indirect cost: $504 million
Colon cancer
Total cost related to overweight and obesity: $2.78 billion Direct cost: $1 billion Indirect cost: $1.78 billion
Q: What is the cost of lost productivity related to obesity?
A: The cost of lost productivity related to obesity (BMI 30) among Americans ages 17-64 is $3.93 billion. This value considers the following annual numbers (for 1994):
Workdays lost related to obesity: 39.3 million Physician office visits related to obesity: 62.7 million Restricted activity days related to obesity: 239.0 million Bed-days related to obesity: 89.5 million