Obesity and Public Policy - will ever the twain meet?

So what's your thoughts on nationalized health care?  I am for it - actually.  I think privatization has lead to a situation not all unlike the mortgage issue - over inflated prices, under performing quality and bad management. 

What say you?

i think there certainly is a place for it...the how is the issue...some kind of basic care available for all (basic dental and vison as well--things that arent readily covered for adults under medicaid/medicare)...and then a system of private docs if one wants specialty treatment...although that could lead to a "public defender" situation...young, inexperienced, or poorly skilled docs willing to work for the wages that gov't pays them. On the other hand, many docs in regular family practices arent making the $$ they used to either...maybe 80k? one could do that with a decent degree and no worries about malpractice, guilt (misdiagnoses, etc) and other stressors that come with the profession...so maybe in terms of skill/pay, we arent that far off.

But some variation on basic care available for all (well checks, disease screenings and treatments, etc) with those who are employed having to choose their paid health care first (to lessen the system's burden)...then the option of paying for more specialized care/alternative treatments--like a ppo option. You will still end up with private practice docs for the wealthy...but again, america functions on equality (access to health care) not fairness (options for treatment).

I agree - but I think countries like France and Canada have good systems in place - and there are other Euro countries that have nationalized health care. 

There are so many OTHER broken things in this country - it's a where do we start? kinda thing.

I'm totally against nationalized health care  if that means we all end up at the free clinic. Have you ever received care at hospitals such as LBJ and others that serve the poor? Not the best of care there hours of waiting, overcrowding, bad attitudes, and the like. If competition makes places like St. Luke, Methodist hospital, etc among the best in the world, I'm willing to pay more.

Well, Slim - you have to realize that a nationalized system would absorb the private currently in place - so there would be more available and theoretically, overcrowding wouldn't be such an issue.

HOWEVER - down here in TEXAS especially in Harris County - WE know that citizens are in the minority in a lot of cases - so Ionknow how to fix THAT issue.....

Not really sure what my opinion is on some of those, but get this: I used to work for GE (the walmart of the fortune 500 companies of the world--for those of you living under a rock) anyways, smokers paid higher insurance premiums than non smokers. HOwever, there were "secret smokers", "club smokers", and just plain ol' liars.

How do we regulate "risky behaviors?" good point about the office Hoe. I mean who's monitoring her? Is she any different than the secret eater or the "i only smoke when i drink" person?.....I dont know.....

one more thing i find interesting about the whole insurance thing: My insurance had me jump through very very few hoops to get my surgery approved, hell, it was like buying tylenol--extremely easy to drive to the store and pick it up, however, i think its ironic that they provide you with so much information-0---all of a sudden i have a nutritionist, psych evals, ongoing psych treatment if i want, etc.... i get all this knowledge that is covered by my insurance the moment im approved for the surgery, but what about before? if i didnt want to have the surgery or if i didnt get approved, do you know none of those things are covered unless im diagnosed diabetic? so they really dont do much preventative measures as insurance companies. When i was gaining weight at a rapid rate year after year, i was always referred some place where i would have to pay astronomical amounts of money, only to end up failing. If i had half the knowledge i have now prior to gaining weight, it probably wouldve never gotten that bad and i wouldve never gotten that big.

insurance companies, the government, and even the person determining when BOGO at payless should occur all need reformation!!! LETS PROTEST!

I'd say no because obese folk deal with enough stigma in our society as it is.  These types of things only add to it. I think it boils down to what you believe obesity is - is it a self-inflicted behavioral choice? or is it a disease process with genetic, physical, emotional, social and cuttural components? I think to say it is a disease is not to say you don't have responsibility for dealing with your condition but it takes some of the shame away.

Some insurance companies already do the premium thing with smokers.  I'm not a smoker and I haven't thought about how I feel about that.   I agree with you, if adequate treatment was covered then I'd be more open to the insurance thing for obesity.  however, there is enough fat prejudice out there as it is - it just gives employers an excuse not to hire fat people..."sorry, we have a rider against fat people on our insurance - lose weight and reapply" /

The tax on junk food - maybe, it doesn't stigmatize obesity - it provides a revenue stream that perhaps can go into health care.
 

I feel you on the stigma thing - that's real in the field right there.....

But man - a TAX on Oreos???!!!!!  LOL  that's just criminal!!!!

I am game for the top 4:

• Provide individuals with tax credits for gym membership and nutritional counseling. 49.3 percent supported.

• Prohibit all high-fat, high-sugar food advertising on media watched primarily by children. 52.5 percent.

• Require grocers to add surcharge to high-sugar, high-fat foods and use those revenues to decrease prices of fruits and vegetables. 29.2 percent.

 

• Impose a tax on junk foods similar to that imposed on cigarettes and alcohol. 28.4 percent.

I disagree wtih the last one, I worked full time, went to school full time, and watched my niece and nephew on the weekends. There was no time for me to go to the gym-then.