[Mr. Brightside]

First of all obesity is much greater today than it was in 1974. (The Surgeon General and Tommy Thompson said recently that 80 PERCENT of all illnesses could be prevented with a healthy lifestyle including diet and exercise.) Secondly, one of the reasons that health care costs are so high is because our health care proceedures are much more advanced than they were back then.

We can treat lots more diseases, cure a lot more ailments and relieve a lot more symptoms. Kind of like comparing an aircraft used in the Vietnam War to one used today in Iraq.

Sure it costs more. But it also DOES a lot more.

[ChildOfThe60s]

First of all obesity is much greater today than it was in 1974. (The Surgeon General and Tommy Thompson said recently that 80 PERCENT of all illnesses could be prevented with a healthy lifestyle including diet and exercise.)

Not 20 times greater. I do not hold the statements of the Surgeon General in great reverance. It is a ceremonial political appointment. That aside, the 80% figure is pure fantasy.

Yes, there is no question technical advancements have contributed to cost. That is one of the variables of which I spoke.

None of the above changes the reality that we have a health care delivery system that doesn't even vaguely resemble a market forces driven system. This fact dwarfs all other variables. Until such time as that is addressed, other fixes will be cosmetic and temporary.