Should the government pay you to lose weight?

[Reeveso]

I think this just shows how ridiculous weight loss is getting.

People shouldn't need to be offered money to lose weight - that's the most pathetic thing I've ever heard!

I don't understand why people don't just WANT to be fit. You feel 100x better, look 100x better, it's fun, and you live longer...

I think they should do the opposite. If you're overweight, you have to PAY more!

Maybe that would fire a torch under some people's @ss's

 

[Litespeed]

Maybe they should just charge different insurance rates based on BMI ratings or something similar so that people who are fit will pay less than people that are obese? QUOTE]

I agree that people who are staying fit and healthy should receive a "reward" by not having to pay such high health benefits as those who choose to live an unhealthy life style. I only go to the doctor once a year for a physical. My old doctor was very impressed with the amount of exercise I do (40 miles of walking a week, 50 - 100 miles of cycling a week and 3 one hour sessions at the gym a week). When I told my new doctor what I do, I don't think he believed it. I haven't been sick for at least 10 years, I eat right and am definitely NOT over weight. I'm 56 years old and probably in better shape then all the people I know except my husband.
If we were to pay people who are unfit to try and get them fit, it won't work, they would never stick with it, most people are to lazy, sorry to say. I am certainly not going to help pay someone to get fit when no one paid me to.

 

[hokey71]

agree

I think the government should just stay the hell out of it.

I agree that I don't like the government too involved in stuff but health care is going through the roof. Obesity isn't helping the problem any and everyone is paying the price for it. I am not the healthiest person, yet, but I am working on it. My wife is also overweight and she is also working on it. I will say that although I have not been all that healthy over the years, meaning overweight, but I almost never get sick. I almost never go to the doctor. I almost never take any medicine including over the counter stuff like tylenol.

Having said that I still pay close to $4000 a year for medical benefits through my company for my family of 3. More than 15 years ago I didn't pay anything for just myself. A couple of times that insurance increased it was more than the raise I got that year.

I know that obesity is not the only thing driving medical costs up but anything to help bring the cost down would help. Just like bad drivers have higher insurance, unhealthy people should have higher health insurance. Instead everyone pays the price for those people that choose not to exercise and eat right.

 

[Danger_Dave]

do obese people really drive health insuranceu p that much? I had assumed it was mainly the uninsured people that are still treated, and the costs that are tacked on that many people are "blind" to because they only pay co-pay and don't necessarily look at what their insurance, and consequently themselves, pay for it. Drugs are also a **** ton more expensive here in the US aren't they?



Anyway, I think it's kind of retarded to have to pay people to lose weight...
should we also pay anorexic people to gain weight?

 

[Danger_Dave]

unfortunately politicians need money and these PACs wield too much influence toward their re-election for politicians to look to the greater good.

 

[Greenetuckian]

No worries folks, if we ever get "Hillary Care" style medicene here in the US the government will not pay you to loose weight or stop smoking they will penalize those who do not or declare you a ward of the state and institutionalize you until you are at a desired body composition. It won't happen all at once but over time they will incrementally get there.

 

[Phate89]

No worries folks, if we ever get "Hillary Care" style medicene here in the US the government will not pay you to loose weight or stop smoking they will penalize those who do not or declare you a ward of the state and institutionalize you until you are at a desired body composition. It won't happen all at once but over time they will incrementally get there.

LOL. Thats why I am voting for either Ron Paul or Obama.

 

[Phate89]

Oh, THATS why? Crazy rhetoric that doesn't mean anything at all? I hope there's another reason.

haha no. There are plenty of reasons why i'd vote for Ron paul. I like Obama because he just seems so different from all the other politicians and their political crap. Though I disagree with him on his illegal immigration policy.

 

[LeiYunFat]

Is it just me, or does it seem like politicians go out of their way to make sure they don't know too much about any particular subject?

If I wanted to get my pockets lined I would want to maintain a level of detachment and deniability...that way, when the wind starts blowing the other way, I can easily jump ship.

 

[tonymcclellan]

True. I dont know why they even have debates. When they are asked a question, they usually say, "Well first I want to say..." and go on talking about somethng they want to and never actually the question.

 

[MarkMyWords]

What a preposterous notion.

 

[theGOOCH]

The sad thing is that so much of the WORLD is just really, really stupid. So the only way to make it anywhere in politics is to dumb down and vanilla all your opinions.

I fixed that for ya

I usually just hold my nose and vote for the lesser of two evils (which isn't always the same party)

I wish we had better choices

 

[tjl]

I think the government should just stay the hell out of it.

Unfortunately, like it or not, when most medical costs are paid through third party entities (whether private insurance companies whose premiums are paid for by your employer, or government insurance like Medicare), there will be controversies over how much your personal behavior is someone else's business.

And different people are going to have different opinions on it, depending on whether they are among those who live as healthily as they can (needing less medical care) or those who abuse themselves and end up spending a lot (of other people's money) on medical care.

The following articles are likely to be of interest to those reading this thread:

 

[deschain]

Obesity related illnesses cost billions a year in healthcare.

If there were no insurance companies to cover expenses (or to jack up the costs), no MediCare or Medicaid - and you had to straight up right a check to pay for your own healthcare costs - people would care a little more about how their actions affect their health in the long run.

 

[goergen1]

^^^^ Word.

I say get rid of all insurance and health care. Everyone fend for themselves.

 

[deschain]

I saw on some 20/20 special or something, that there are a small (but growing) number of doctors that are no longer dealing with the insurance companies. As a result, they are able to keep their costs lower and patients simply pay for their services.

What a radical concept.

 

[tjl]

I saw on some 20/20 special or something, that there are a small (but growing) number of doctors that are no longer dealing with the insurance companies. As a result, they are able to keep their costs lower and patients simply pay for their services.

What a radical concept.

It actually makes more economic sense to have insurance for only catastrophically large expenses, while paying the small stuff on your own.

In some cases, I have seen situations comparing two plans:

A. Catastrophic only plan with $X yearly out of pocket maximum.
B. Plan that covers most stuff with only a small copayment.

where the yearly premium for plan B was more than $X greater than the yearly premium for plan A. In other words, even if you had a lot of expenses and used up $X out of pocket with plan A, you'd still pay less than if you had chosen plan B.

Seems that running every little expense through insurance (generating a lot of paperwork and bureaucratic expenses) just increases the cost without really gaining anything.