We are truly a blessed country. Everyday we awake to something many take for granted -- freedom. We have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom to be whatever we want to be -- even to be overweight. But just like all other freedoms, the right to be overweight has a cost and often these costs are borne by others in society.
I never thought about how my lifestyle impacted others until I received my company's summary of what was paid out in for employees' health insurance claims in 2010. I was shocked! Weight and lifestyle choices were a large amount of the total claims. Although I am blessed with very good health, the statistics were very sobering to me the statistics junkie.
For years my company has been encouraging employees to become more conscious about our health. The company has created great educational programs to tell us what we should do and how we could make lifestyle changes to become healthier. Looking at the company's statistics, I see that am not alone in my struggle with weight.
Today as our country celebrates a decision made 235 years ago to become free, I am appreciative of our freedoms. Freedom has a price but it's cheaper to pay today through diet and exercise than to let others or my health pay the price tomorrow.
Nancy Johnson
Happy 4th of July!
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9 years ago
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12 comments:
A few months back when I pointed out the economic impact of obesity on the insurance industry I was called a hater.
Perhaps it wasn't your message but the tone you used to convey it that people saw as "hateful". There are many ways to provide constructive feedback. Maybe you could soften the negativity by stepping into to sunshine and posting with your name or a made up name like: TOOMUCHTIME or SECRETLYFAT or even FATNOMORE .
I'll change my name to URFATIMNOT. There you go, tubby.
Fat people should pay double premiums over fit and healthy people. I'm tired of subsidizing the portly crowd.
And buy two seats on planes. Your personal lifestyle choices shouldn't negatively impact my traveling experience.
Ooh, good point about the airlines. I'm in favor of making the tubbers pay the percentage of my ticket for their encroachment into my seat. If your lard spills over into 20% of my seat, pay up 20% of what I paid for my ticket.
If we are going to assess a "health tax", let's also add one for mental illness, drinking and driving, sun tanning, speeding and the like. Behavior impacts all of these activities and each can impact society AND health insurance.
Why you want to stick it to the "fat" people only?
Why shouldn't we also tax the skinny people who smoke, fit people who drink or healthy people who practice unsafe sex?
Aren't these just as bad or are you just anti fat people?
Because if you look at the statistics on health costs most of the top 10 are obesity related. Get a clue, please.
I agree, smokers should be charged about 10X what non smoking healthy people are charged.
Heart disease and cancer are by far the top 2 causes of death. Smoking and obesity are the top risk factors for those.
Ok we are in agreement with smoking and weight but I noticed you left off alcohol. Hmmm
Why?
What is your stat on alcohol and morbidity/mortality?
And, um, moderate use of alcohol has been shown to actually be of a health benefit.
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