New research shows medical spending averages $1400 more a year for an obese person than for someone who is normal weight. Overall obesity-related health spending reaches $147 b illion, double what it was a decade ago. The higher expense reflects the costs of treating diabetes, heart disease and other ailments far more common for the overweight..
Two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese and the average American is 23 pounds overweight.
A new health study shows the average American consumes 250 more daily calories today than gtwo or three decades ago. also ob esity-related conditions account for 9 per cent of all medical spending, up from 6 percent in 1988. During that time the obesity rate rose 37 per cent.
Should fat people be taxed with the revenue going to reduce other health costs?
What do you think?
Often, life insurance premiums reflect an individual’s weight. If one is overweight, premiums can be greater than if one is within the range of the “norm”. Insurance companies may even “decline” an applicant solely on the basis of being overweight.
Neil asks if fat people should be taxed with the revenue going to reduce other health costs. Under a universal healthcare system such as Canada has, would this not be another way of increasing premiums on healthcare for those who are obese? Whether you call it a tax or an extra premium, its the same thing.
Although I do not oppose such a proposal it should be pointed out that, like private clinics, this is yet one more nail in the coffin of universal healthcare. Is it not a principle of Canada’s system that no one is discriminated against vis a vis costs?
Overeating is a sin. Therefor they should have to pay a sin tax as it is done with booze and smokes. These tubs complain about normals. Normals complain that fatsos take up one and a half seats oe an airliner.Fatsos say “tough luck”. What I would like to see is a fatsos in an aisle seat and another in the window seat. I want to hear what the third fatso has to say about no room left for her/him in the center seat. Ftsos should eat when they are not hungry. If they get hungry they should stuff themselves with watermelon and then eat. They should not forget that the fatter they get the more they have to feed. I feel for those who are overweight because of medical reasons.
Jim overeating, drinking and smoking are visual weaknesses, that the people who have them suffer enough, without someone else reminding them, as though they were not aware of their own problems.
Calling someone a fatso who like you is made in the image and likeness of God, in my view is projecting your own weakness of verbal abuse, and showing disrespect for the person.
Jim and Peter, will you two listen to yourselves? Overeating is a sin??? A weakness???
How about that’s just the way some people are, with or without your unhelpful snide remarks.
And Neil, in case I haven’t made myself clear in the past: NO MORE TAXES!
Once you start taxing people for weight, it opens the door to a plethora of other discriminatory taxes. As I am no fan of bloated government, or the fact that you would then have to administer testing at a cost to prove this, fight off lawsuits, etc., this is a bad idea.
Fat people, as Tony points out, often pay higher premiums for insurance. Imagine other costs they face: Large food bills, clothing, etc. I don’t think we need to single out any group for more taxes in this country.
I can’t believe we are having such a discussion.
Canada has an obesity problem as well. Just google it and you’ll find info. on it.
Here’s an alternate solution:
Liposuction all the excess fat from morbidly obese people and redistribute it via soft drinks to those on the lower rung of the socio-economic scale so that they get the minimal caloric intake each day.
Kill two birds with one stone!
Should workaholics be taxed more since they cause a lot of expenses through heart attacks? Where does it end?
Good morrow, all!
From “eat the rich” to “tax the fat.” Are we not wondrous creatures, then? I look upon people who are morbidly obese, and think, “there, but for my clothing budget and a morbidly emaciated paycheque, go I.” Just as you will not enrich the poor by impoverishing the rich, you will not benefit the thin by taxing the fat. An extra 250 calories per day amounts to an extra 25 pounds a year. Do the math. Obese people are still PEOPLE, people.
“If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you tax us, shall we not revenge
ourselves with rebates when we lose the weight?”
Been there. Done that. T-shirt is now a bedspread – CTZen
OK, how about another tact. When the fatsos are flatulant, they let rip 14 times a day with at least triple the gas volume of normals. So let’s charge them with a global warming tax.
Good morrow, Jim!
“Fatsos?” What next? Kikes? Niggers? Chinks, slopes and ragheads? Micks, Spics and Polacks? Gimps, cripples and retards? Let’s see, have we left anybody out? Gooks? Redskins? Wogs? Spazzes?
Remember: the way you speak about other PEOPLE, says far more about you than about them.
Must be so nice, being one of the “normals”.
This mongrel bites – CTZen
Arf:- It’s too bad that you had to go so far. All the monikers you used to describe individuals are not the way they are because of a self-inflicted situation, they were born that way, so let us leave them alone. Fatsos on the other hand do themselves in. I admire a person who has done something about their problem such as going to Overeaters Anonymous instead of stuffing their face and then telling us that they like the way they look.
Good morrow, Jim!
“Fatsos do themselves in.” How very understanding of you. I take it you have a little sign around your neck reading: You have to be this weight (or this BMI) to be my friend.
I prefer to associate with people with fat around their waist to those with fat between their ears.
I have an idea. Let’s set aside a part of each city, where only fat people may live (or want to) and tell them that they must take certain types of transportation, and only hold certain types of jobs, and enter buildings through certain doors only. They must stay out of sight of the svelte “normals”, and must buy their clothing only from certain outlets, and must not seek to hold public office, or apply to adopt children.
Sound familiar? Niggers, kikes, faggots…fatsos?
Prejudice is the child of fear. What might you be afraid of, Jim?
Understanding and acceptance take far more effort than bigotry and rejection. But then, mental laziness will make you…
Hey, what’s for supper? – CTZen
Understand and accept this….
I hate being TAXED out of my (and everyone else who has or does not have health insurance) PAYCHECK for people who have a PREVENTABLE condition!!!
This is NOT prejudice at ALL, since every tax has and will create prejudices of those who avoid and those who don’t.
What’s wrong about a more HEALTHFUL society?
How are you currently being taxed for a preventable condition?