It doesn't surprise me that most of the posts on that topic were basically attacks on obese people. Each comment was more vile than the one before it. Those posts were just simply hateful. Their comments were not even constructive. They were just insults.
Unfortunately, people like those hard headed individuals can't be reasoned with. They lack the intelligence to even carry on a reasonable debate.They simply want to spout off.
Vivian =^\
~~There is no more mean, stupid, dastardly, pitiful, selfish, spiteful, envious, ungrateful animal than the Public. It is the greatest of cowards, for it is afraid of itself.~~
Those people are pathetic. Whether or not they agree with the article, there's no reason to be so abusive. The one person who tried to "defend" fat people was bombarded with insults. It's amazing how many people lump all fat people together as lazy. Most of the fat people I know (myself included) are hard working people who want to do the best they can in life.
I heard that on the national news last night (haven't read your link yet though). I come down on the side against it, I'm afraid. It's not a disease, though obesity can certainly lead to disease and premature death. And I agree with the comments that I heard on the news, about how other taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for what some have *chosen* to do. Not at all! And I can say that as someone who WAS obese. It's a matter of choices, not such good ones at that. But it's not something that should be covered by medicare.
Now, I'll read the link in a bit. Thanks for posting it.
The only thing that kept popping into my mind while reading those messages was whatever happened to empathy? Has our society become so self-absorbed we can not even afford sympathy for someone who has a medical problem - be it self-induced or otherwise. And yes, weight is a symptom of choice...but quite often there is a reason behind the overeating...abuse, depression, stress, etc. - all valid medical issues. Should we not look to helping someone overcome those issues in the struggle against obesity?
As a society we really do need to re-examine our beliefs...we've become cold hearted, unsympathetic individuals.
Most of these people have paid into the tax system for years,.,, I think they deserve to get some of it back for their own personal use…its still going to be a lot less they what they actually paid into the system they are getting a small portion of their own money back kuddos to them! . Its about time Medicare realizes this is an epidemic and it would be cheaper on them in the long run to cover this procedure… it can reduce the need for diabetics to have insulin that’s cost effective in its self and then to end up paying for someone to have their leg amputated which diabetes can cause what about the effect of our people who need heart treatment….. Just because you was so successful in loosing all your weight forte don’t mean that everyone is…no matter how hard they try!
My dad who was an electronics engineer made very good money I used to hear his talk about taxes all the time where he paid thousands a month in to the system then when he needed the system it let him down he died practically penniless because of his medical conditions and he was not overweight at all he had a heart disease and couldn’t even get his medication covered even half would have helped his 600 a month prescription bill
Also we forget its not always about overeating frankies grandma is in her 80s she is overweight all she eats is a dinner that meals on wheels brings her (if you ever seen them its not a big proportion) and some fruit even because her old bones can not move well enough for a lot of exercise she does not eat enough to be overweight in this case wls I doubt would help her but it’s the fact saying all overweight people eat to much…
As I said (or think I mentioned), I had not read those messages or followed the link to the article. I tend not to follow links on message boards, generally. But I did hear about medicare redefining "obesity" on the evening news, the night prior to Shawna's post. I can't speak to the issue of what was contained in messages, which I didn't read and won't.
But on the issue of medicare redefining "obesity," I can say that those decisions are generally political, and have more to do with which pocket the government wants to use for funding a problem which some of it's other funding decisions, at least in part, helped to create. Those subsidies for corn, as an example, and all the government money funneled into the creation of *artificial* or prepackaged products to use up all that extra corn and sugar etc etc. It's often a matter of taking from Peter to pay Paul. And that's what I really think of this decision by the government.
It's not a matter of *empathy* as you say, because our govt is not in the business of relabeling this-or-that for medicare reasons, out of empathy. Empathy doesn't even figure into it.
Now on the matter of obesity itself, and whether or not it *should* be redefined for medicare purposes....I think I've already answered that with a **resounding** NO, NO WAY, NO HOW. It's a very bad move on the part of our government. Obesity is not a medical disease, and those are the only things which qualify for funding. Things like AIDS for instance. You can't *catch* obesity from a virus, or a bacteria, etc. It's simply NOT a disease and it doesn't qualify for medicare funding. Obesity, to be sure, can lead to diseases (heart disease, for one) but it's not a disease of itself and NO WAY should it qualify for any funding. Obesity is a matter of personal choice, or the lack of choice, and it is a personal matter which can and should be resolved (or not) by the person who is obese. It's *NOT* appropriate to expect other citizens to pay for the obese person's bad decisions. And that is my humble opinion on the subject. It has nothing whatsoever to do with lack of *empathy,* but it has everything to do with personal responsibility, and no a matter of Federal funding to fix a problem the person has created for himself/herself out of omission (not eating properly, lack of adequate exercise etc) and commission (consuming more calories than the body needed for fuel).
Obesity is a personal choice, and personal choices don't receive Federal funding under medicare. That's pretty much the bottom line. So it's an inappropriate decision, IMO.
It's not about *cold-hearted* or *unsympathetic." But it is about not making society pay for an individual's personal decisions. That's unfair to every other taxpayer.
Well, that's not what medicare is. It's not about paying in, and then getting to choose to get some of it back "for our own personal use." That's not what govt does. And it's not what we as citizens should expect govt to do either.
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Unfortunately, people like those hard headed individuals can't be reasoned with. They lack the intelligence to even carry on a reasonable debate.They simply want to spout off.
Vivian =^\
~~There is no more mean, stupid, dastardly, pitiful, selfish, spiteful, envious, ungrateful animal than the Public. It is the greatest of cowards, for it is afraid of itself.~~
William Hazlitt
~~Linda
~~Linda
I heard that on the national news last night (haven't read your link yet though). I come down on the side against it, I'm afraid. It's not a disease, though obesity can certainly lead to disease and premature death. And I agree with the comments that I heard on the news, about how other taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for what some have *chosen* to do. Not at all! And I can say that as someone who WAS obese. It's a matter of choices, not such good ones at that. But it's not something that should be covered by medicare.
Now, I'll read the link in a bit. Thanks for posting it.
forte
As a society we really do need to re-examine our beliefs...we've become cold hearted, unsympathetic individuals.
Just a thought...
Freya
Most of these people have paid into the tax system for years,.,, I think they deserve to get some of it back for their own personal use…its still going to be a lot less they what they actually paid into the system they are getting a small portion of their own money back kuddos to them! . Its about time Medicare realizes this is an epidemic and it would be cheaper on them in the long run to cover this procedure… it can reduce the need for diabetics to have insulin that’s cost effective in its self and then to end up paying for someone to have their leg amputated which diabetes can cause what about the effect of our people who need heart treatment….. Just because you was so successful in loosing all your weight forte don’t mean that everyone is…no matter how hard they try!
My dad who was an electronics engineer made very good money I used to hear his talk about taxes all the time where he paid thousands a month in to the system then when he needed the system it let him down he died practically penniless because of his medical conditions and he was not overweight at all he had a heart disease and couldn’t even get his medication covered even half would have helped his 600 a month prescription bill
Also we forget its not always about overeating frankies grandma is in her 80s she is overweight all she eats is a dinner that meals on wheels brings her (if you ever seen them its not a big proportion) and some fruit even because her old bones can not move well enough for a lot of exercise she does not eat enough to be overweight in this case wls I doubt would help her but it’s the fact saying all overweight people eat to much…
As I said (or think I mentioned), I had not read those messages or followed the link to the article. I tend not to follow links on message boards, generally. But I did hear about medicare redefining "obesity" on the evening news, the night prior to Shawna's post. I can't speak to the issue of what was contained in messages, which I didn't read and won't.
But on the issue of medicare redefining "obesity," I can say that those decisions are generally political, and have more to do with which pocket the government wants to use for funding a problem which some of it's other funding decisions, at least in part, helped to create. Those subsidies for corn, as an example, and all the government money funneled into the creation of *artificial* or prepackaged products to use up all that extra corn and sugar etc etc. It's often a matter of taking from Peter to pay Paul. And that's what I really think of this decision by the government.
It's not a matter of *empathy* as you say, because our govt is not in the business of relabeling this-or-that for medicare reasons, out of empathy. Empathy doesn't even figure into it.
Now on the matter of obesity itself, and whether or not it *should* be redefined for medicare purposes....I think I've already answered that with a **resounding** NO, NO WAY, NO HOW. It's a very bad move on the part of our government. Obesity is not a medical disease, and those are the only things which qualify for funding. Things like AIDS for instance. You can't *catch* obesity from a virus, or a bacteria, etc. It's simply NOT a disease and it doesn't qualify for medicare funding. Obesity, to be sure, can lead to diseases (heart disease, for one) but it's not a disease of itself and NO WAY should it qualify for any funding. Obesity is a matter of personal choice, or the lack of choice, and it is a personal matter which can and should be resolved (or not) by the person who is obese. It's *NOT* appropriate to expect other citizens to pay for the obese person's bad decisions. And that is my humble opinion on the subject. It has nothing whatsoever to do with lack of *empathy,* but it has everything to do with personal responsibility, and no a matter of Federal funding to fix a problem the person has created for himself/herself out of omission (not eating properly, lack of adequate exercise etc) and commission (consuming more calories than the body needed for fuel).
Obesity is a personal choice, and personal choices don't receive Federal funding under medicare. That's pretty much the bottom line. So it's an inappropriate decision, IMO.
It's not about *cold-hearted* or *unsympathetic." But it is about not making society pay for an individual's personal decisions. That's unfair to every other taxpayer.
forte
Yes, I thought I made it clear that I understood she was referring to messages which I hadn't read.
Morning, Shawna!
Forte
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