Reply to: How should we cut obesity?

[The Spartan]

Quite a few rugby players and skiers I know have had injuries while taking part in the chosen sport, should the cost of their ACLs, collar bones, broken wrists etc be covered by the NHS or private insurance?

The difference is that there are lots of consequences of obesity as opposed to just a case where you've injured yourself. Say you break you wrist once it's healed your treatment is mostly over and done with unless you require physiotherapy, whereas with obesity you have Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, higher risk of a stroke, fatty liver disease etc

I'm sure these would require a lot more treatment and cost.

[Goatfell]

I believe you have to have insurance to ride a motorbike nowadays and I doubt insurance is cheap either, I see your point but an accident is exactly that and not intentional.

I think the point MS was trying to make was that you are willingly increasing your chances of incurring an injury.

But many sports and hobbies are high risk - should motorbike riders (for example) be required to insure themselves medical bills that arise as the result of an accident?

So if say your knees end up knackered due to the excess weight you're carrying then, if you need a knee replacement you'll have to dip into your own pocket as it's preventable.

Quite a few rugby players and skiers I know have had injuries while taking part in the chosen sport, should the cost of their ACLs, collar bones, broken wrists etc be covered by the NHS or private insurance?

Anyway what is a "good diet"? Over the last seventy years there has been much advice given out about what is good and what isn't, for instance, who knew about trans fatty acids 25 years ago? IMHO it comes to eating what you want, just not so much of it.

[The Spartan]

But many sports and hobbies are high risk - should motorbike riders (for example) be required to insure themselves medical bills that arise as the result of an accident?

I believe you have to have insurance to ride a motorbike nowadays and I doubt insurance is cheap either, I see your point but an accident is exactly that and not intentional.

Getting themselves into that state isn't a conscious decision - you don't wake up one morning and think, "I know, I'll become a bloater". Overeating is often an addiction, and an insidious one. It's rarely as simple as just stopping.

Exactly it is a process that can take some time and generally doesn't happen overnight.

So if say your knees end up knackered due to the excess weight you're carrying then, if you need a knee replacement you'll have to dip into your own pocket as it's preventable.

[mudskipper]

Don't get me wrong it is a problem that needs to be tackled, but I don't think that people who are responsible should have to foot the bill in anyway in fact I think it should fall to those that get themselves in that state in the first place.

But many sports and hobbies are high risk - should motorbike riders (for example) be required to insure themselves medical bills that arise as the result of an accident?

Getting themselves into that state isn't a conscious decision - you don't wake up one morning and think, "I know, I'll become a bloater". Overeating is often an addiction, and an insidious one. It's rarely as simple as just stopping.

[The Spartan]

Don't get me wrong it is a problem that needs to be tackled, but I don't think that people who are responsible should have to foot the bill in anyway in fact I think it should fall to those that get themselves in that state in the first place.

[mudskipper]

At Mini Spartan's school they only sell fruit and they also don't allow certain things if the kids have packed lunches like chocolate and crisps, I was quite surprised to begin with but also very happy when I was told this by my wife.

They also take the time to educate the children about food and what's bad about certain types of it.

Yep - primary schools generally do a good job, but when they get to secondary school, it often changes. Sweets, chocolate, chips, fizzy drinks seem to be the staples.

[The Spartan]

It would help if the schools didn't sell crap food.

At Mini Spartan's school they only sell fruit and they also don't allow certain things if the kids have packed lunches like chocolate and crisps, I was quite surprised to begin with but also very happy when I was told this by my wife.

They also take the time to educate the children about food and what's bad about certain types of it.

[d000hg]

It would help if the schools didn't sell crap food.

It is at least an area of focus/improvement. Although it would also help if parents didn't stop their kids having school dinners because they didn't like healthy food.

[mudskipper]

It has I agree, but no one should have to nannied

People smoke and people drink, perhaps more than they should but that's down to them of course there are consequences but it's all rather well publicised these days through various media so there are no excuses though I agree there are exceptions.

It would help if the schools didn't sell crap food.

[vetran]

What a horrible idea. No Mars bars, no booze, no crisps, no greasy fry ups, no roast potatoes in goose fat, ...

I was thinking more that the food hadn't been messed with, but as pointed out healthy seems to be more of a matter of opinion confused by dogma.

Trans fats etc are obviously unhealthy.

[d000hg]

maybe if the only food you can buy were healthy and unadulterated then maybe it would be easier for people to avoid?

What a horrible idea. No Mars bars, no booze, no crisps, no greasy fry ups, no roast potatoes in goose fat, ...

[vetran]

It has I agree, but no one should have to nannied

People smoke and people drink, perhaps more than they should but that's down to them of course there are consequences but it's all rather well publicised these days through various media so there are no excuses though I agree there are exceptions.

Agree there is an element of nannying but if you look at

1.foods specifically designed to be addictive (Burger & Doughnut shops you know who you are)
2.the lack of correct information about dieting.
3.the dubious system of calorific value - my stomach isn't a furnace so why measure food that way?
4.cheap bad food and expensive good food.

you have to admit most people have the odds stacked against them.

[The Spartan]

maybe if the only food you can buy were healthy and unadulterated then maybe it would be easier for people to avoid?

Lets be honest most of the food on sale has been modified to increase profit not to enhance health.

It has I agree, but no one should have to nannied

People smoke and people drink, perhaps more than they should but that's down to them of course there are consequences but it's all rather well publicised these days through various media so there are no excuses though I agree there are exceptions.

[vetran]

Makes me laugh when they say it should rely less on the individual, FFS no one is forcing them to eat Krispy Kreme's daily take some responsibility for your life.

maybe if the only food you can buy were healthy and unadulterated then maybe it would be easier for people to avoid?

Lets be honest most of the food on sale has been modified to increase profit not to enhance health.

[mudskipper]

Makes me laugh when they say it should rely less on the individual, FFS no one is forcing them to eat Krispy Kreme's daily take some responsibility for your life.

Stuffing ones face with crap can be an addiction like any other. So yes, individuals do need to take responsibility, but that's only part of the answer.