I came across this news item - an interesting slant on treating obesity. It's cheaper to treat obese people in the long run because they die sooner than healthy people. Healthy people live longer, and die of things like Alzheimers, that are expensive to treat.

Fat people cheaper to treat, study says - Yahoo! News

There were some intriguing statistics in the article.

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Nita

i've heard there is some move in the uk to deny healthcare to the elderly, smokers and overweight people, reportedly because of the cost...

Don't treat the old and unhealthy, say doctors - Telegraph

geez.

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According to the news item, they should deny healthcare to the healthy, because they cost more in the long run. I guess no one looked at the long term, overall cost. Makes sense, though. If you have 2 identical cars, one taken care of haphazardly, (the "obese" or the "smoker") the other (the "healthy") getting regular service, in the long run the better cared-for car is going to cost more, because it will last longer. Oil changes, tires, transmission oil changes, etc., will add up over the long run. Same with bodies, the longer we live the more maintenance we need. Those oil changes, etc., add up.

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Nita

Oh goody. Anybody want to volunteer to be obese to save our medical system some money by croaking early. No? I didn't think so......

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BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108