Is Obesity Contagious?

[theco805]

Now that we have all see to come to a consensus regarding obesity as not being "contagious" or a "disease", but more of a personal lifestyle choice. (Please debate this, if you wish). I would be interested to know your guys' opinions on Medicare and other handicap/government disability benefits going to those who are obese.

Personally, I feel the government should not offer assistance or any disability benefits to one who chooses to be obese.

I find myself in a quandary though in regards to benefits to those who's obesity influences other actual medical problems such as heart conditions. They do have a medical condition that should and does receive government assistance, however I question the cause of their condition............

[ZNFYRH]

As long as they choose to be obese, any conditions that could be caused by obesity should not receive assistance.

Eliminate obesity as a possible cause, by not being obese any more, and then other causes can be addressed.

Even if the heart condition is chronic, obesity doesn't help.

[Osborn F Enready]

theco805 said:
Now that we have all see to come to a consensus regarding obesity as not being "contagious" or a "disease", but more of a personal lifestyle choice. (Please debate this, if you wish).

I am not saying it is "only" a personal lifestyle choice. I am saying it is an individually controllable issue, while recognizing that some are naturally, or geneticly more inclined to be so.

theco805 said:
I would be interested to know your guys' opinions on Medicare and other handicap/government disability benefits going to those who are obese.

I don't think government should be in the "safety net" or "insurance" business, period.

theco805 said:
Personally, I feel the government should not offer assistance or any disability benefits to one who chooses to be obese.

I don't think it should offer any assistance or disability benefits to anyone,and I think that those promised benefits up until now should be paid, and it should be phased out of existence.

theco805 said:
I find myself in a quandary though in regards to benefits to those who's obesity influences other actual medical problems such as heart conditions. They do have a medical condition that should and does receive government assistance, however I question the cause of their condition............

Which is one reason of many, government shouldn't be making these choices, or offering these services, which are outside its Constitutional sphere of authority.

[The Decider]

Now that we have all see to come to a consensus regarding obesity as not being "contagious" or a "disease", but more of a personal lifestyle choice. (Please debate this, if you wish). I would be interested to know your guys' opinions on Medicare and other handicap/government disability benefits going to those who are obese.

Personally, I feel the government should not offer assistance or any disability benefits to one who chooses to be obese.

Medicare covers bulimia, anorexia, and alcoholism---all diseases that involve some level of "personal lifestyle choice." Should Medicare cease covering those ailments too?

Obesity and its related health complications is costing our national economy multiple billions of dollars according to the Center for Disease Control. Should public health agencies and policies just ignore that reality?

Obesity and Overweight: Economic Consequences | DNPA | CDC

[Trotsky]

How long are you people going to keep sitting on your "fat" complacent rear-ends?

This is the problem no? People have become so lazy, the solution to everybody's problems these days is to pop a pill and cure. My solution to the obesity problem................take responsibility for your own actions, stop eating so much shyte and get of yer fat ass and do some exercise, walk the dog, take the kids to the park, go for a bike ride....just get off yer lard ass. This will however make me unpopular with my employers

[Trotsky]

Medicare covers bulimia, anorexia, and alcoholism---all diseases that involve some level of "personal lifestyle choice." Should Medicare cease covering those ailments too?

Obesity and its related health complications is costing our national economy multiple billions of dollars according to the Center for Disease Control. Should public health agencies and policies just ignore that reality?

Obesity and Overweight: Economic Consequences | DNPA | CDC

Anorexia and bulimia are not lifestyle choices, they are outward expressions of psychiatric problems.

[The Decider]

Anorexia and bulimia are not lifestyle choices, they are outward expressions of psychiatric problems.

I think you'll find many if not most overweight and obese people with similar or worse psychiatric/psychological problems, usually undiagnosed. Moderate to severe clinical depression is but one.

[theco805]

Looking over the recent debate, I see it has come again to the cause of the obesity and the consequences a raising high number of obese people have on our economy.

The link offered by The Decider on economic consequences, to me, appear to be severely limited to insurance and medical costs not all of our nation's economy. Looking at evidence of this one area of microeconomics, I find it hard to see the basis and backing for government money on obesity through various policies, medical/disability coverage included.

Responding to claims that anorexia, along with related conditions, and obesity are external indicators of internal psychiatric problems, I somewhat agree with these claims. However, each case is individual and needs to be dealt with on a personal basis by trained professionals not politicians or policy makers.

However, we are debating public policy here, so I will also offer my opinion on thus. In regards to government assistance to those exhibiting low-weight condition and over-weight conditions, I would stipulate the following:

1. Patient supported (financially or private insurance) of psychiatric evaluation regarding the cause of their abnormal weight
2. Medical assistance limited to life threatening conditions, as regularly provided to all
3. No assistance to those deemed obese without other regularly covered medical conditions or psychiatric diagnosis relating to their abnormal weight

[bell0033]

[/.QUOTE]

Patient supported (financially or private insurance) of psychiatric evaluation regarding the cause of their abnormal weight

The problem with patient supported psychiatric eval is threefold. First, if a psychiatric problem does exist, the patient is unlikely to seek evaluation especially with monetary roadblocks in the way. I am not suggesting all obese patients are given a forced eval, but removing the monetary aspect may act as an incentive for receiving an eval. Second, private insurers may refuse to recognize obesity-related psychiatric evals as coverable because, frankly, it might cost them a lot of money. Third, many people cannot afford insurance or a psychiatric eval, and as a result, only those in the upper classes would be able to afford them. This would further propagate the division in health care between the upper and the lower class in this country.

[/.QUOTE]

Medical assistance limited to life threatening conditions, as regularly provided to all

What if it is a debilitating condition which prevents the patient from working? The patients quality of life would decrease dramatically simply because they could not afford medical coverage. Even non-debilitating illnesses can become debilitating if they go untreated. One can prioritize care, but since, as you stated, cases should be treated individually, limiting service by any means could lead to unnecessary injury or death. Do note, however, that I am an advocate of universal health care and thus my opinion is extremely biased.

[/.QUOTE]

No assistance to those deemed obese without other regularly covered medical conditions or psychiatric diagnosis relating to their abnormal weight

What if their obesity is genetically inclined, though not influenced by any other covered medical condition?

Having said that, I feel that I must respond in brief to a potential counter-argument: What if homosexuality is definitively found to be genetic in nature? Should the "treatment" of homosexuality sought by some be covered?

My answer to that is no, it should not, because I don't believe homosexuality is a disease. I believe obesity is a disease. If you believe that homosexuality is a disease, I find your opinion extremely distasteful and disrespectful, but I will not attempt to alter your opinion as it is likely faith-based. However, because of my firm belief that homosexuality is not a disease, attempts to "treat" it should not be covered.

Thanks.

[theco805]

The problem with patient supported psychiatric eval is threefold. First, if a psychiatric problem does exist, the patient is unlikely to seek evaluation especially with monetary roadblocks in the way. I am not suggesting all obese patients are given a forced eval, but removing the monetary aspect may act as an incentive for receiving an eval. Second, private insurers may refuse to recognize obesity-related psychiatric evals as coverable because, frankly, it might cost them a lot of money. Third, many people cannot afford insurance or a psychiatric eval, and as a result, only those in the upper classes would be able to afford them. This would further propagate the division in health care between the upper and the lower class in this country.

While I understand and follow your thought process on the ineffectiveness of requiring privately funded evaluations, it is ineffective and too costly to even begin to consider the government funding these evaluations. These evaluations would be mandatory for thousands, if not millions, of Americans claiming to have abnormal weight conditions and as you stated yourself these evaluations could be very costly to insurance companies, and therefore the American taxpayers.
You stated removing the monetary burden of these evaluations from individuals would possibly over an incentive for them to get said evaluation. While this holds to be true, this newly allowed incentive would demote and devalue the severity the evaluation is making on this issue. In essence, what I meant when I proposed the evaluation was a method and test to stop those merely choosing to be overweight from gaining government, taxpayer's, funds for their lifestyle choices.
I furthermore see no way in which privately funding these evaluations would cause a widening in the gap between the wealthy and economically disadvantaged in America. Psychiatric services are available through various funding sources to individuals from all walks of life, without government assistance.

What if it is a debilitating condition which prevents the patient from working? The patients quality of life would decrease dramatically simply because they could not afford medical coverage. Even non-debilitating illnesses can become debilitating if they go untreated. One can prioritize care, but since, as you stated, cases should be treated individually, limiting service by any means could lead to unnecessary injury or death.

If the condition is debilitating and non-life threatening, the patient would be able to gain medical care as all Americans can. All I am proposing is saying that those who have conditions directly related through their non-psychiatric lifestyle choice of being overweight would not be covered until it becomes life-threatening. I am also a believer in universal health care coverage. However, such does not exist in this nation and if we are leaving over 9 million children without adequate coverage, I feel we can make limit for those who make lifestyle choices, despite the government's ad campaigns, to be obese, at current times.

What if their obesity is genetically inclined, though not influenced by any other covered medical condition?

If I am not mistaken, those who suffer from obesity through genetics are usually considered as having a medical condition, and would this remain the same and be granted coverage. My proposals in my previous post were vague, and individual cases need to be considered, such as these.

In response to your potential counter-argument on homosexuality, I believe there are other topics on this forum discussing such and would like not to get involved with that in this one....sorry.

[gopchick]

This is the funniest thing I have ever read! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Obesity is as contagious as stupid is!!!!

again, people know between right and wrong and if you hang around fat people and you get fat - shame on you for being a wake minded person.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! GREAT THREAD!!!

[Chris]

Just yesterday I read an article about this.

I was amazed to think that now I can blame the fat people around me when I start to gain weight.

was that TIME magazine?