Obesity epidemic calls for measures like tobacco war

JWR ^ | 4-18-05 | Morton Kondracke

[FlyLow]

Since 1964, thanks to taxes, lawsuits, social pressure and prevention programs, the percentage of Americans who smoke has dropped from 65 percent to 25 percent. It's time to tackle obesity just as aggressively.

Libertarians, the fast-food industry and advocates for the obese object to "nanny-statism" and discriminatory incentives to fight the obesity epidemic. But in all likelihood, we'll need negative as well as positive pressure to slim America back down to a healthy size.

Lawsuits like the one pending against McDonald's aren't my preferred solution — they'll likely benefit trial lawyers more than consumers — but taxes on the fat content of food would be useful, and so would higher insurance premiums for those who are overweight.

The life insurance industry does impose higher premiums for the obese, but not as large as it does for smokers. And the health insurance industry generally provides lower premiums on a limited basis only as a reward for participation in diet-and-exercise programs.

[MEGoody]

"But I hate it when an overweight person tries to BS me into believing their diet has nothing to do with it, when I can clearly see otherwise for myself."

Yeah, I hate that. And I hate it when an arrogant snot tries to convince me they aren't really an arrogant snot.

[Serb5150]

Fat people don't have a lobby which is pushing for extra medical care for the overweight.

Actually, they do:
www.obesity.org

"The AOA has initiated a liaison with the American Association of Health Plans, the trade association for the managed care industry, to promote greater coverage of obesity treatment. The AOA continues to actively lobby Congress and the Executive Branch to include obesity treatment in the Medicare drug benefit proposals."

I have a problem with this. I don't like paying for the medical treatment of other people when they are suffering from a preventable condition. It frustrates me, and yes - politicians frustrate me as well.

[MEGoody]

"If someone is 50% overweight, they ought to be paying at least 50% more in insurance premiums."

And if a person participates in sports, they ought to be paying more in insurance premiums as well. After all, they get 99.9% of the sports-related injuries.

[Williams]

No I'm not supporting any taxes, just losing weight,

[tacticalogic]

"A recently completed internal investigation has revealed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's calculation of 400,000 deaths caused each year by obesity was flawed to its core, and that the agency ran roughshod over its own scientists. The CDC has thus far failed to publicly acknowledge the extent of its colossal error. "

More here.

[tacticalogic]

I have a problem with this. I don't like paying for the medical treatment of other people when they are suffering from a preventable condition. It frustrates me, and yes - politicians frustrate me as well.

You'll find the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation behind this. They work closely with the beltway bureaucracies, and have their hooks deep into the system.

[monday]

"Actually, they do:"

ack.. I had no idea. I guess fat people deserve what they get then. If people are going to ask for government benefits they no longer have the right to freedom. They become government slaves and I guess they will have to give up their Big macs. Fatties who demand Medicaid treatments for obesity should be locked up and given 300 calories a day until they are thin again. Repeat as necessary.

Sorry, I doubted you. You are right, at least as far as the fatties at obesity.org are concerned. Normally I believe the government should stay out of peoples lives, but not if the people in question are demanding government handouts.

[aruanan]

Daily calorie intake and output is what determines body weight in most cases except for those with metabolic problems.

Even with metabolic problems, it's total caloric intake versus total caloric expenditure that makes the difference between adding and losing body weight.

[aruanan]

Well, it's a nice rationalization, but the only reason people are overweight is because they ate more calories than they burned.

Not a rationalization, just a matter of appetite suppression. Smoking suppresses the appetite. Folks who aren't as hungry don't eat as much or as often. Eating less food over the same period of time results in a change in energy balance toward losing weight or lower weight.

[aruanan]

While technically true, there can be extenuating circumstances, as in medications, disease processes, hormonal imbalances, etc.

Even with diseases, hormonal imbalances, and effects of medication, it's still a matter of energy balance and that depends upon the difference between energy input and energy expenditure.

[aruanan]

While technically true, there can be extenuating circumstances, as in medications, disease processes, hormonal imbalances, etc.

Even with diseases, hormonal imbalances, and effects of medication, it's still a matter of energy balance and that depends upon the difference between energy input and energy expenditure.

[aruanan]

Changing the guidelines for who is or is not overweight also helped create "fatter" people.

True. But there are a LOT more porkers out there now than when I was a child. Especially in Peoria.

[aruanan]

What I don't get is all the obese smokers!!!!!!

Today's cigarettes contain only a small fraction of the nicotine they contained back in the 50's and 60's.

[Paved Paradise]

Precisely!

[Gava]

Ah yes all we need is fat and cigarettes to win battles against foes with Howitzers and Tiger tanks.

[Gava]

You're right. Besides, there are some people who are congenitally obese and they choose a healthy lifestyle. They suffer no more health problems than do people of normal weight.

[Paved Paradise]

That's a whole story in itself!! People who park in handicapped slots - a lot of them are handicapped because they are their own worst enemy. I went on the South Beach the week after Easter - lost 15 lbs so far - on my 5 foot tall frame that's substantial. Went from size 10 to 6! My primary reason for doing this was health - my dad is diabetic and so is my mom-in-law. They have both had multiple health problems, some of them resulting from the diabetes. I think people need to be more intellectually honest about things. I look at food in a totally different light now - some things are toxic in large quantities so I try to be conservative.

[Protagoras]

I wonder how we can make Morton Kondracke MINDHISOWNBUSINESS?

[Paved Paradise]

Where on earth did you get that picture? I always feel sad in a way when I see people like that - I think a lot of it is their own doing (some are set up for it by childhood obesity) but I have compassion for them. I have a friend (non-smoker) who was enormous - couldn't even walk - she did gastric bypass. She's had some complications from the bypass but I suppose death would've been an even greater complication and she was on that road had she not had bypass.

[Fred Hayek]

It makes no allowance for muscle mass, just assumes you are heavy with fat.

My cycling coach is 6' 210 pounds, so according to the chart he's overweight, at risk. So how does he qualify for Olympic Trials and UCI Worlds, and beat Marty Nothstein in the keiren at 2002 Elite Track Nationals?