If they want to eat themselves to death - let them !

Shouldn't we just give out McDonalds vouchers to hasten the process ?

Like I've said many many times before .... people have to take some responsibility for their own lives !!!!

Not having seen the article I won't comment directly.

However having been involved running my nursing agency years ago I often find medical matters are never as simple as a 'yes or no.
The costs of leaving thinks untreated,even obesity can often lead to far greater costs later on.

Would like to see some sort of tax on unhealthy foods,smokers/drinkers/drivers all pay out.

Innocent Accused wrote:
The costs of leaving thinks untreated,even obesity can often lead to far greater costs later on.

Like I said, it's time these people took some responsibility (instead of spending their entire time shovelling rubbish down their faces).

Re - other already "paying" .... am sure that I read somewhere that the proceeds from smoking taxes far outweight the costs to the NHS of treating smoking related diseases (which is, of course, why the government have never even considered banning smoking !!!!).

In The Know wrote:
If they want to eat themselves to death - let them !

Shouldn't we just give out McDonalds vouchers to hasten the process ?

Like I've said many many times before .... people have to take some responsibility for their own lives !!!!
Surely seeking medical help IS taking responsibiliy and indicative of a desire not to eat oneself to death? Also, how would you determine whether the illness was a result of obesity or some other factor. Heart disease for instance occurs in fat people but also in thin people. It is often difficult to determine the cause, particularly if the person is also a drug user. So here we would have to add drug users to your group. What about those that do not eat a healthy diet, they must cost the NHS millions? When it comes down to it, so much of our NHS treatment could be prevented if we were sexually monogamous, non smoking, moderate drinking healthy dieing, regularly exercising individuals.
Since very few people fulfill your criteria and actually take 100 % responsibility for their health, I cannot see your proposal gaining popularity. We actually want the NHS to be there for us and not to judge us!

In The Know wrote:
Innocent Accused wrote:
The costs of leaving thinks untreated,even obesity can often lead to far greater costs later on.

Like I said, it's time these people took some responsibility (instead of spending their entire time shovelling rubbish down their faces).

Re - other already "paying" .... am sure that I read somewhere that the proceeds from smoking taxes far outweight the costs to the NHS of treating smoking related diseases (which is, of course, why the government have never even considered banning smoking !!!!).
Surely the same applies to fat people who pay far more VAT than skinnies. At any rate, neither smokers duty nor food VAT goes to the NHS so it is a moot point!

The worlds thinnest fat person wrote:
[quote At any rate, neither smokers duty nor food VAT goes to the NHS so it is a moot point![/quote]

Not so ... it all goes into the same (government) coffers from which the amount we can spend on the NHS is decided.

Bruce Bruce wrote:
Surely seeking medical help IS taking responsibiliy and indicative of a desire not to eat oneself to death?

In the article - www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11097566 - is this ridiculous statement -

However, they did not look into whether the operations actually helped the patients lose weight.

Health minister Paul Burstow said people should be encouraged to eat more fruit and vegetables, reduce the amount of fatty foods they eat and be more active.

I agree with him ... if these fatties actually moved around a bit not only would they be fitter but WE would be £ 4 BILLION better off !

(Perhaps you might like to explain to those refused life-prolonging cancer drugs a couple of weeks ago - because they were too expensive - that the money is better spent on idle fatties ?)

education is always good. It depends how the four billion is spent.

you have a fair point that people should eat themselves silly and whose business is it if they do-but as we all pay increased taxes for health care we all have a vested interest.

perhaps a special tax on food shown to be unhealthy (like fast food outlets) to compensate for the health cost down the track.

Research says that being slightly overweight is actually the healthiest. Being thin means you are just as likely to die as obese.

Obese is a BMI of over 30. Most people who go over 30 are in some form of depression and are comfort eating. In the case of children it is just usually a sugar addiction.

Sugar is the big killer. Take sugar out of our diets and we basically would not be obese.

If you look at the USA and UK you will see a sugar laden diet. Our supermarket food is laden with the stuff. The cheaper the food the more laden with sugar. That is why the Council Estates are full of big wobbly jelly people - some needing cranes to get them out of bed. They are basically depressed people who are eating food which is no more than big lumps of sugar.

The obese are generally poor and depressed and the Government is basically having a go at them.

Go into any supermarket - especially Tesco - Iceland - Sainsbury and once you are past the fresh section you find section after section of cheap cakes - cheap pizza - cheap booze - cheap crisps and snacks.....in fact probably 80% of a supermarket is unhealthy sugar laden foods and drinks. With less than 20% of the space given over to healthy food. In addition the fresh food and fruit prices are three times the amount of the unhealthy rubbish.

You can get 12 bags of crisps for a pound - but just 250g of blueberries will set you back around £3 if they are not on offer. Sums it up.

slightly overweight veritas wrote:
as we all pay increased taxes for health care we all have a vested interest.

Remember veritas ... this (£4 BILLION) is only the starting point !

Once these other fatties get the idea they can continue to shovel food down their faces without ever taking any exercise, then they too will be queuing-up for the "gastric band" operations. These costs can only rocket !

In The Know wrote:
[quote]The worlds thinnest fat person wrote:


Not so ... it all goes into the same (government) coffers from which the amount we can spend on the NHS is decided.

Then perhaps the 'fatties' more than pay for their heaklthcare indirectly with excissive VAST payments.If this is so, you should be encouraging obesity!

Here is the typo free version, sorry!!!!

Then perhaps the 'fatties' more than pay for their healthcare indirectly with excessive VAT payments.If this is so, you should be encouraging obesity!

Following the O/Ps logic. Those with STDs ,even AIDS and Hepatitis should be funding their own treatments since these diseases are largely self inflicted and preventable!

Bruce Bruce wrote:
Following the O/Ps logic. Those with STDs ,even AIDS and Hepatitis should be funding their own treatments since these diseases are largely self inflicted and preventable!

There is something in what you say ... but these things are treated to prevent OTHERS from being infected, and thus stop the spread.

Putting a band round someone's stomach (so they cannot ingest as much) will not make them eat fruit or actually move around a bit, will it ?

Bruce Bruce wrote:
Here is the typo free version, sorry!!!!

Then perhaps the 'fatties' more than pay for their healthcare indirectly with excessive VAT payments.If this is so, you should be encouraging obesity!

I DID suggest - in the original post - that we should give them McDonalds vouchers so they can eat themselves to death more quickly (and save us all money in the long run) !

Then that ever-rising £4 BILLION can be spent elsewhere (such as on real illnesses) can't it?

In The Know wrote:
Bruce Bruce wrote:
Here is the typo free version, sorry!!!!

Then perhaps the 'fatties' more than pay for their healthcare indirectly with excessive VAT payments.If this is so, you should be encouraging obesity!

I DID suggest - in the original post - that we should give them McDonalds vouchers so they can eat themselves to death more quickly (and save us all money in the long run) !

Then that ever-rising £4 BILLION can be spent elsewhere (such as on real illnesses) can't it?