Kmar
Truth is my Bitch
+5,695|6570|132 and Bush

"The Government announced plans last week to offer fat people cash incentives to diet and exercise as part of a desperate strategy to steer Britain off a course that will otherwise see half the population dangerously overweight by 2050."

Smokers, heavy drinkers, the obese and the elderly should be barred from receiving some operations, according to doctors, with most saying the health service cannot afford to provide free care to everyone.

£1.7 billion is spent treating diseases caused by smoking, such as lung cancer and emphysema

Fertility treatment and "social" abortions are also on the list of procedures that many doctors say should not be funded by the state.

The findings of a survey conducted by Doctor magazine sparked a fierce row last night, with the British Medical Association and campaign groups describing the recommendations from family and hospital doctors as "out­rageous" and "disgraceful".

About one in 10 hospitals already deny some surgery to obese patients and smokers, with restrictions most common in hospitals battling debt.

Managers defend the policies because of the higher risk of complications on the operating table for unfit patients. But critics believe that patients are being denied care simply to save money.

Among the survey of 870 family and hospital doctors, almost 60 per cent said the NHS could not provide full healthcare to everyone and that some individuals should pay for services.

One in three said that elderly patients should not be given free treatment if it were unlikely to do them good for long. Half thought that smokers should be denied a heart bypass, while a quarter believed that the obese should be denied hip replacements.

Tony Calland, chairman of the BMA's ethics committee, said it would be "outrageous" to limit care on age grounds. Age Concern called the doctors' views "disgraceful".

Gordon Brown promised this month that a new NHS constitution would set out people's "responsibilities" as well as their rights, a move interpreted as meaning restric­tions on patients who bring health problems on themselves. The only sanction threatened so far, however, is to send patients to the bottom of the waiting list if they miss appointments.

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Quote of the day: " Yes, they might peg out any time, but it's not our job to play God."
Xbone Stormsurgezz
mtb0minime
minimember
+2,418|6624

What exactly are they going to do with that cash? Break their diet and buy more food/alcohol?

Also, could this lead poor, yet healthy, people do become obese in order to obtain cash incentives?

Personally I think this is a bad idea. They said it wasn't their job to play God, so maybe they should stop offering incentives for these fatsos and just let them die off of their own accord. If people want to consciously make a choice to eat poorly, or smoke, etc., then that's their deal and we don't need the government getting on their case.

Last edited by mtb0minime (2008-01-27 23:05:10)

Adams_BJ
Russian warship, go fuck yourself
+2,053|6592|Little Bentcock
I don't think they should bar some operations from the elderly, its not like its a choice to get old. But I agree 100% for the smokers, heavy drinkers, and obese.
sergeriver
Cowboy from Hell
+1,928|6727|Argentina
What the fuck do people eat?  I mean, overweight is becoming a big problem not just in UK, but all the World.  I was reading some stats form here, and the % of fat people raised a lot in the last years and it's expected to raise even more.  Is it McDonald's?
B.Schuss
I'm back, baby... ( sort of )
+664|6811|Cologne, Germany

Adams_BJ wrote:

I don't think they should bar some operations from the elderly, its not like its a choice to get old. But I agree 100% for the smokers, heavy drinkers, and obese.
yep. People need to learn that they need to take better care of their bodies. If we want to secure our national health services for future generations, it is vital ( sic ) that we educate ourselves to lead healthier lifes.

providing affordable health care for everyone is difficult enough. We don't need people who intentionally harm themselves and cause un-necessary costs for the rest of us.

that is irresponsible
Ajax_the_Great1
Dropped on request
+206|6616
Stupid government bribes.
Left_hand
Banned
+11|6135|Westminster, California

sergeriver wrote:

What the fuck do people eat?  I mean, overweight is becoming a big problem not just in UK, but all the World.  I was reading some stats form here, and the % of fat people raised a lot in the last years and it's expected to raise even more.  Is it McDonald's?
Just shoveling processed food in general and a complete lack of exercise.
Mekstizzle
WALKER
+3,611|6591|London, England
You're not gonna solve money problems by throwing money at it. It's simple, if people are overweight and thus use services like the NHS more often they should be taxed more. That way, people like me who hardly have to use NHS services won't have to pay for other peoples operations and shit. That'll also be their incentive to stop smoking/lose weight as they'll want to be taxed less.

Actually that's why I think we should move to private healthcare. That way people would pay depending on how much they whore the services. I mean, it goes like that for public transport.

Last edited by Mek-Izzle (2008-01-28 04:15:07)

PureFodder
Member
+225|6255

Mek-Izzle wrote:

You're not gonna solve money problems by throwing money at it. It's simple, if people are overweight and thus use services like the NHS more often they should be taxed more. That way, people like me who hardly have to use NHS services won't have to pay for other peoples operations and shit. That'll also be their incentive to stop smoking/lose weight as they'll want to be taxed less.

Actually that's why I think we should move to private healthcare. That way people would pay depending on how much they whore the services. I mean, it goes like that for public transport.
You do get plenty of people who require huge amounts of medical care through no fault of their own though, such as people with genetic conditions.
xRBLx
I've got lovely bunch of coconuts!!
+27|6325|England - Kent
I want a private health care system!
The people how pay gain and those who dont get a 2nd class service.
PRLR
Member
+5|5968|Northern Sweden
wow, im gonna get fat and recieva cash for it.
=OBS= EstebanRey
Member
+256|6520|Oxford, England, UK, EU, Earth

Kmarion wrote:

£1.7 billion is spent treating diseases caused by smoking, such as lung cancer and emphysema
And how much tax is put in by smokers who pay extortionate amounts for a packet of fags?  The NHS are quick to bleat about how much unhealthy people cost them and yet forget that these are the people who put the most money into the health service through nanny state taxes.

So if I was unemployed, teetotal, didn't smoke and ate salads all day I'd get treated despite me putting 0 into the NHS financially?
=OBS= EstebanRey
Member
+256|6520|Oxford, England, UK, EU, Earth

PureFodder wrote:

You do get plenty of people who require huge amounts of medical care through no fault of their own though, such as people with genetic conditions.
Then their ancestors should pay it...
JahManRed
wank
+646|6598|IRELAND

The government of the UK is taking away the responsibility of the individual bit by bit. Paying people to go to school, stay out of jail, raise their kids right. The police spend their time doing what parents should be doing, educating kids..........the only education I got from a cop as a kid was a rifle butt in the face.

The UK is going down the toilet with politically correct nonsense ruling the day.
Left_hand
Banned
+11|6135|Westminster, California

JahManRed wrote:

The government of the UK is taking away the responsibility of the individual bit by bit. Paying people to go to school, stay out of jail, raise their kids right. The police spend their time doing what parents should be doing, educating kids..........the only education I got from a cop as a kid was a rifle butt in the face.

The UK is going down the toilet with politically correct nonsense ruling the day.
I would love to go to the UK before they all get fat.
specialistx2324
hahahahahhaa
+244|6658|arica harbour

JahManRed wrote:

The government of the UK is taking away the responsibility of the individual bit by bit. Paying people to go to school, stay out of jail, raise their kids right. The police spend their time doing what parents should be doing, educating kids..........the only education I got from a cop as a kid was a rifle butt in the face.

The UK is going down the toilet with politically correct nonsense ruling the day.
"anarchy in the UK"  by the Sex Pistols is more like it
Pug
UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate
+652|6512|Texas - Bigger than France
Man, imagine how many twinkies I can buy with some extra cash!!!
Skorpy-chan
Member
+127|6315|Twyford, UK
I'm not obese, but I AM broke thanks to their crappy policies. Perhaps I should claim a subsidy for taking regular excercize?
jord
Member
+2,382|6648|The North, beyond the wall.

Mek-Izzle wrote:

Actually that's why I think we should move to private healthcare.
Or we could just have both.

sergeriver wrote:

What the fuck do people eat?  I mean, overweight is becoming a big problem not just in UK, but all the World.  I was reading some stats form here, and the % of fat people raised a lot in the last years and it's expected to raise even more.  Is it McDonald's?
I ate Mcdonalds on and off for about 2-3 months and I'm a pretty skinny asshole.
=OBS= EstebanRey
Member
+256|6520|Oxford, England, UK, EU, Earth

jord wrote:

I ate Mcdonalds on and off for about 2-3 months and I'm a pretty skinny asshole.
I agree, I'm a lanky streak of P too.  I actually need to eat fatty crap to maintain a normal weight
Aries_37
arrivederci frog
+368|6545|London
All because Mcdonald's is not making you fat doesn't mean it isn't chipping away at your life expectancy.

Also doesn't mean that I'll stop eating it every now and then though

Also the NHS is funded by taxes, ie people do pay for it in some way and are therefore entitled to treatment even if it's mostly self-inflicted. However repeat-offenders and people who are unwilling to change their lifestyle are putting an unfair strain on the system and should be forced to fork out extra money (ie go private) if they require subsequent treatment.
konfusion
mostly afk
+480|6520|CH/BR - in UK

In response to serge:
Well, humans are simply not made for an excess of food. Note that people in Africa are not obese, because there you don't have the same excess. Until about 50-150 years ago, getting food was hard, and thus all food intake is stored immediately. However, with the increase in technology, we are able to produce more food than we actually need. With enough time, we will eventually adapt to this excess. For the time being, however, humans are more susceptible to obesity because of it.

-konfusion
Left_hand
Banned
+11|6135|Westminster, California

=OBS= EstebanRey wrote:

jord wrote:

I ate Mcdonalds on and off for about 2-3 months and I'm a pretty skinny asshole.
I agree, I'm a lanky streak of P too.  I actually need to eat fatty crap to maintain a normal weight
what did you 2 fine gentlemen do for the 12 hours and 50 minutes when you were not eating Mcdonalds?

A few assumptions made, just go with the flow.
l41e
Member
+677|6618

Stupid fat hypocritical Americans.

Oh, wait.
Left_hand
Banned
+11|6135|Westminster, California

k30dxedle wrote:

Stupid fat hypocritical Americans.

Oh, wait.
How do you pronounce your name? I have no idea.

But why oh, wait? Are you fat too?

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