Fat versus smoke

[dick]

Since we're all going off on that scourge known as second-hand smoke, and how it's robbing our insurance dollars... I'd like to see the societal ills such as macaroni salad and the ubiquitous "loco moco" banned, since that crap clogs arteries, and, ultimately, milks the health insurance industry thanks to heart bypasses, diabetes, and gastric bypasses.

Sure that might be a bit of a stretch, but you get my point. While fat (yeah, I said it) people might not affect me "directly" with something like smoke, I and those of us with health insurance are affected by thier health problems.

"Oh, not all "big people" have health problems..." And the same goes with smokers... so let's see where this goes...

[newroots]

Re: Fat versus smoke

well... If you place a law on what people should eat , and shouldnt eat. than thats messing around with their freedom a whole lot more , than placing a law on what people should smoke.

eating ... eating is a natural form of consumption. people need to eat..

smoking on the other hand.. is not a natural form of consupmtion. people dont need to smoke.

so theres one way to look at it.


you cant stop people from eating. most especially in guam. ask anyone whos been here.... the food ... is crayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyzie

[mr508ma]

Re: Fat versus smoke

Hey Dick, I can relate... i am a fat person, not obese, but 6', 300+, and got this way when i quit smoking & took up eating.. so i gave up smoking to be healthier & now have to give up eating to try to lose the weight i gained... and on top of that have health insurance & are frustrated by the rise, for it turns out to be more than the pay increase we been fighting for..

It's a no win situation... people will always be sick and need medical, Dr's will always want more money, Insurance will alway rise along with gas, milk, ect.. it's inflation... do we stop producing meat, so we have more cows to lower the cost of milk ??

The tough part is tobacco is a natural grown product like any fruit or veggie, just cause you burn it, it affects others... maybe candle fumes cause hunger & make people obese ??? LOL

you are one step ahead of most of the world, for you already live in Paridise

oppps, outside of being fat, ex-smoker, and part deaf, i am somewhat healthy & pay insurance too..

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Fat versus smoke

like being a reformed smoker who *hates* smoke, I am also someone who pulled down from the obese range through diet and exercise in these last five years and is livid with what we call "local food choices". The only fast food option I will choose is Subway. We haven't brought soda into this house in years. Only brown rice is allowed in my rice cooker. And, I am the gal contemplating saltless shoyu.

[AbsolutChaos]

Re: Fat versus smoke

From the American Cancer website:

A Smoker on Payroll Can Cost Firms Up to $3,800

And frrm USA Today:

It places the annual cost at an additional $460 to $2,500 per obese person — those who are 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight.

[AbsolutChaos]

Re: Fat versus smoke

Since we're all going off on that scourge known as second-hand smoke, and how it's robbing our insurance dollars... I'd like to see the societal ills such as macaroni salad and the ubiquitous "loco moco" banned, since that crap clogs arteries, and, ultimately, milks the health insurance industry thanks to heart bypasses, diabetes, and gastric bypasses.

Public is going in that direction. It started with having to slap nutritional labels on everything. Now there have been more lawsuits aimed at fast food companies for serving "unhealthy" foods. KFC and Wendy's have switched to a different cooking oil to get rid of trans fat in the food. L&L (at least the one in Walmart) offers brown rice and salad instead of mac salad and rice. McDonalds has added more salads/grilled chicken to their menu. Taco Bell has the fresco option at all their restaurants, where you can get fresh salsa instead of the cheese and sauce.

There's talk of raising prices on unhealthy food and making it cheaper than healthy food, as well as an anti-obesity day similar to the American smoke-out.
http://www.ghchealth.com/american-ca...s-smoking.html

I think that the anti smoking laws started out in a similar place; little by little our food will be regulated too.

[timkona]

Re: Fat versus smoke

I spent the last 4 years trying to lose 30 lbs. I did it. And I have kept it off. Was 242. Now 212, or a little under. HARDEST DAMNED THING I EVER DID. "May I have 1/2 scoop rice, please, and a Coors Lt instead of a Sam Adams"

But I did it. And if I can do it, then anybody can do it. Fat is a CHOICE, just like smoking. When I hear lame-asses talk about "I just can't lose the weight" while both hands move through the food like a steam shovel, I just smile.....and then put on my shoes and go for a brisk walk. People always say "Hey, what you runnin from?". My answer: "The Grim Reaper".

As for food choices in Hawaii, that's a funny one. Hard to find the vegetable at most Luau's. Oh, you mean the frozen peas in the Mac Salad?

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Fat versus smoke

As has been noted repeatedly in the other thread, you cannot compare the two as equals. Second-hand eating is not a health risk to the non-eaters in the same room.

[WindwardOahuRN]

Re: Fat versus smoke

I spent the last 4 years trying to lose 30 lbs. I did it. And I have kept it off. Was 242. Now 212, or a little under. HARDEST DAMNED THING I EVER DID. "May I have 1/2 scoop rice, please, and a Coors Lt instead of a Sam Adams"

But I did it. And if I can do it, then anybody can do it.

Not necessarily. Not everyone is as special as you are, Tim.

Do you sneer at overweight people to their faces or have the decency to do it behind their backs?

I deal with obese patients every day at my job. Some are well over 500 lbs. There are human beings in there, you know. The factors that lead to obesity are often complicated and not all that easy to overcome for many.

For you to smugly assert that "if I can do it, then anybody can do it" is rather cruel.

[blueyecicle]

Re: Fat versus smoke

MY husband smokes and I am fat (according to today standards)! So I am in both worlds.
But he smokes outside, and I am actually healthy.

I don't think you can just judge either one.

My husband quit doing drugs and quit drinking several years ago and cannot quit smoking, he is trying but it is hard. Now he has MS and it's even harder to quit.

Me? I have always been not a size 0, more like a 12 even when I was a kid, my mom always told me how fat I was. Now I am heavier but I stay healthy. everyone has issues, you can't blanket either one....period.

There are more reason for being fat and smoking than just lazy, or addicted.
My husband hates not being able to stop smoking. I would like to be a bit thinnner but who wouldn't.
Doesn't make someone a bad person or the SOLE reason there is a strain on healthcare costs.
Healthcare costs have too many factors to just blame one or the other or both.
There are many other factors.

[WindwardOahuRN]

Re: Fat versus smoke

As has been noted repeatedly in the other thread, you cannot compare the two as equals. Second-hand eating is not a health risk to the non-eaters in the same room.

It might be in the case of kim chee...

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Fat versus smoke

I'm not judging fat people, but they do most certainly affect my quality of life when I'm forced to occupy space near them in public places.

Just the other day, I'm riding The Bus, and this extremely overweight man decided that he just had to stand in the aisle next to my seat. Which meant my face was conveniently located right next to his ass.

I tried to lean back, but I couldn't get away. I tried to lean forward, but the bus would lurch and I almost got ass-slapped a few times. I had to settle for putting my arm up and elbowing the bag he was carrying to leverage his ass out of my face.

Not to mention, there were both open seats AND wide open stretches of bus aisle. He didn't have to park himself next to me. Instead of worrying about second-hand smoke, I had to worry about ass fumes -- a most definite health risk.

Unless the person has a health condition that prohibits them from losing weight, I don't see how the "I did it, you can too" mantra is a bad thing.

[lavagal]

Re: Fat versus smoke

...Just the other day, I'm riding The Bus...

My husband rides the bus and regales me with similar tales/tails. He also enjoys the self-important middle and high schoolers who like to test newly learned profanities on the bus. That's another cross normal bus riders have to endure.

As for smokers versus fat people...I find staying in shape is a very hard thing to do that requires a life-long commitment. I've yo-yoed, but, am resigned that I will need to exercise daily in some capacity to stay healthy. I don't like smoking and wish people could quit more easily. I try to understand how difficult it is to throw off such an addiction. I can only applaud those who do.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Fat versus smoke

Since we're all going off on that scourge known as second-hand smoke, and how it's robbing our insurance dollars...

Sorry, the "insurance dollars" aspect was a side bar of the health aspect. If the only concern is insurance dollars, there's ways of fixing that. Transfat tax, obesity tax, higher insurance rates depending on lab results. Whatever. Pick your political poison. It's just money, it can be balanced.

[Hope]

Re: Fat versus smoke

Hmmm...and we could add a "man" tax, too...after all, most violent crimes, murders, molestations, car jackings, drug dealing, auto thefts, domestic violence, drunk drivers, etc. are committed by men. They fill up the vast majority of prisons, so they should have higher taxes, too.