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U.S. health care hurt by unhealthy lifestyles

Saturday, July 4, 2009
(Updated 3:00 am)

Gary Parker writes in the N&R that other countries’ health care systems and life expectancies are better because they have national health systems.

Much of the difference in life expectancy between the U.S. and other countries is a result of our unhealthy lifestyles. Obesity is rampant even among the young, which leads to many health problems. I once saw a U.S. tour group in China with a very overweight woman member. The Chinese  stopped to stare, then laughed hysterically. They seldom see fat people, except foreign visitors.

We smoke, as do people in other countries. When someone gets lung cancer here, they are treated. Often this isn’t true in countries with national health. The only way to control national health care costs is to ration and refuse care to those over a certain age or with costly diseases. This is done in countries with universal care.

If you only treat people who will do well with treatment and don’t treat those who could have marginal results, statistics are skewed.

Lastly, if national health will be so wonderful, why does the Democratic plan making its way through Congress specifically exempt Congress and federal employees from participating in it?

Phyllis Picklesimer
High Point

Comments

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danagain

July 4, 2009 - 9:04 am EDT

Can you link the CBS report miktay? Not that I believe much of what CBS says, especially after the Bush National Guard story.

I'm sure they spend less per person in the UK and will now have to spend even less. Did you read my post regarding the UK oncologist and his statements regarding the financial crisis that is affecting the UK health care system?

J D R

July 4, 2009 - 9:09 am EDT

... so you eternally Diss' CBS based on one story .. yet you listen to Hannity and FOXX.

Jeeze Dan, I am embarassed for you.

danagain

July 4, 2009 - 3:42 pm EDT

Yeah the MSM is totally fair and balanced. Check. FoxNews is right wing. Got it. I guess Bob Beckel, constantly on FNC, and who is former Mondale campaign manager and who also worked for RFK's campaign, is just a right wing guy like Hannity. I could list plenty more libs who are on FNC. That's what drives libs nuts about FNC, they actually allow conservatives to have a say as well.

J D R

July 4, 2009 - 5:10 pm EDT

Whatever you say, Dan.

danagain

July 5, 2009 - 10:33 am EDT

Thanks JDR, that is what I said.

"First of all, I've got one television station that is entirely devoted to attacking my administration."

B. Hussein Obama, June 16 on CNBC.

Even Obama admits every other network is in the tank for him.

Yvonne

July 5, 2009 - 1:57 pm EDT

Excellent response, James.

J D R

July 4, 2009 - 9:18 am EDT

" .. by law, corporations are obligated to maximize profits for their shareholders .. "

Obligated? What law? Please advise.

J D R

July 4, 2009 - 9:05 am EDT

BTW .. I'm OK with limiting public health funding for folks that don't take care of themselves, e.g., those that smoke for over 5 years will be exempted from coverage for all but very basic lung-care issues .. I'd like to see ADM pick up the costs for diabeties (sp) .. companies handling toxic or noxious chemicals and process pick up full life-time costs for healthcare for all workers as well as thouse within a 5 mile radius of the stacks and 15 miles down-stream .. etc.

Also .. public health limited to 85 years of age.

danagain

July 4, 2009 - 8:33 am EDT

My sister in law sent this email yesterday, kinda fitting.

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student, but had once failed an entire class.

That class had insisted that socialism worked; that no one would be poor, and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism. All grades would be averaged, and everyone would receive the same grade; so no one would fail, and no one would receive an A.

After the first test, the grades were averaged, and everyone got a B . . .

The students who studied hard were upset, and the students who studied little were happy.

As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less, and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too, so they studied little.

The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

The scores never increased as bickering, blame, and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings, and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

To their great surprise, all failed. So too, the professor told them, would socialism also ultimately fail. For when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great; but when government takes away all reward, no one will try or want to succeed.

Can it be any simpler than that?

miktay

July 4, 2009 - 8:39 am EDT

Danny,

Interesting story but exactly what does it have to do with health care reform. Could it be you are dragging a "red" herring across our paths?

danagain

July 4, 2009 - 9:08 am EDT

Should we call each other mikey and danny?

Just an interesting anecdote, that's why I posted it. It is true that when there is a lack of reward, then there is a lack of incentive. I work my tail off and am rewarded for my efforts. The more govt. taxes me the less incentive I will have to work hard, in fact I'll have an incentive to work even less in order to pay less taxes.

J D R

July 4, 2009 - 9:32 am EDT

Coal Miners work their tail off, Dan and are rewarded for their efforts with Black Lung.

The "work their tail off" argument is just a bunch of crap .. which is not to argue there are not a whole bunch of slackers that suck off the system .. but those slackers include the uper-wealthy as well as crack-users.

J D R

July 4, 2009 - 9:38 am EDT

One More "work their tail off" comment:

The "slackers that suck off the system" include those that inherit weath .. and "slackers that suck off the system" is the best reason I know of to keep the Death Tax .. which the "R's redefined it in 2001 as:

2002 50% over $1 million
2003 49% over $1 million
2004 48% over $1.5 million
2005 47% over $1.5 million
2006 46% over $2 million
2007 45% over $2 million
2008 45% over $2 million
2009 45% over $3.5 million
2010 Estate tax repealed
2011 55% over $1 million

danagain

July 4, 2009 - 3:50 pm EDT

Ever heard of MSHA JDR? They have respirators and other protection ya know. I used to work in industrial hygiene so I know a thing or two about personal protective equipment and PELs.

I'm not sure what percentage will persuade me to work less Rufus. Business is good this year but I'm still down from last year. Believe it or not I'm glad because I will pay less taxes. 1-5% may not do it, but in order to pay for govt health care, stimulus, corporate bail outs, cap & trade, etc. etc. it won't be a mere 1-5%.

Other answer Rufus, as I noted my sister in law sent me that email. I have no idea where it came from or if it is even true. That was not my point. The point was if achievers are financially punished for achievement there is not point of achievement.

J D R

July 5, 2009 - 5:32 am EDT

Having spent 5 years in the mining industry . I do know about the Mine Safety and Health Administration .. a favorite thing was to read 1 page summaries they published detailing accidents - with the "hand-drawn" picture showing what went wrong.

But wait ... MSHA is part of the Department of Labor .. and not really unlike OSHA .. a Federal Beaucracy set up to establish rules that potentially cripple the operations of a business ... and you're telling me you're OK with those regulations? OMG you are a freaking liberal or a ... or a ... you tell me.

REGARDLESS .. the point was, working hard is not the elusive and exclusive key to Success in Capitalism .. there are many many other things needed or available as substitutes, as only one example, having a rich daddy can provide more for your family than 12 hours days in a mine shaft.

J D R

July 4, 2009 - 9:23 am EDT

"The more govt. taxes me the less incentive I will have to work hard .."

It's a Progressive system, Dan .. if you're happy with paying more than 28% in Fed taxes (after discounting all the perk's you get that most here-in could only dream of) .. then you indeed may work less. But your insistence that you get hit harder because you make more is just plain crap. You are either stupid (which you are not) or you are being dis-ingenuous.

Rufus_T.Firefly

July 4, 2009 - 10:53 am EDT

"The more govt. taxes me the less incentive I will have to work hard, in fact I'll have an incentive to work even less in order to pay less taxes."

At what point will you start working less hard? 1%, 5%?

I hear this as a statement as fact often but I don't believe it. In the high tax days we had plenty of millionaires & billionaires. They didn't like the taxes but they still liked being rich and they seemed to work hard for that position. They did work harder to avoid paying taxes though.

Their are good arguments against raising taxes but I don't think this is one of them.

left-wing conspiracy theorist

July 4, 2009 - 11:40 am EDT

I've made this offer before, but no takers to this point:

I will gladly switch places with anyone in the top 5% of wage earners who feel they are being over-taxed. Oh, and before you call me a 'slacker' or someone who wants to 'sponge off the system', I should warn you that I have worked about 50 hours a week for the past 24 years.

J D R

July 4, 2009 - 9:19 am EDT

"Can it be any simpler than that?"

... aside from the fact that it is BS .. and also does not represent socialism et. al. ... nope!

Rufus_T.Firefly

July 4, 2009 - 10:02 am EDT

Dan,

Got the name of that professor and the year of the experiment??? (;-})
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I heard it was Liberty University & the tough professor was trying to show Socialism didn't work.

So the class who was averaging a C (I said he was tough) before made a C on the first test.

After that the students organized themselves into study committees & created a 5 week plan.

On the next test the average grade was a B+ and the next was an A. The students were inspire by the teamwork and working for the common good.

The professor ended the experiment and hushed the results.

The experiment would have been forgotten if it hadn't been for a member of the tertiary proletariat study group breaking the story to the underground press that the capitalist running dogs had forgotten to silence.

Of course I could be making this up!

Happy 4th of July!!!!!!

huck

July 4, 2009 - 1:13 pm EDT

Watch this slideshow: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html (this is frightening!)
Then read this article: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/causes/economics.html
Now tell me how government-run health care is going to solve this problem. As I said earlier, until we start taking care of ourselves, health care costs will continue to skyrocket.

zeus80

July 4, 2009 - 3:17 pm EDT

First let me say that I did not feel the need to enter the very interesting discussion today! Why? Because the posts by JDR, miktay, firefly, theorist said everything, everything much better than I could have said it myself! Yes, your posts have "made my day!" Absolutely! And the discussion verified my strong belief that "you simply cannot have an intelligent, reasonable discussion with an unreasonble person!" Also, whether the folks in "Wingnuttia" like it or not, a public option health care system "will happen" in our country, in July, 2009! Sorry, danagain et al.

danagain

July 4, 2009 - 3:51 pm EDT

No problem truman. If you agree with me I feel like I did something wrong ;-)

neocon

July 4, 2009 - 6:01 pm EDT

I've axed this question before with no real answers:

Where can we find uncle teddy and Bonnie Fwank's resume' that details their qualifications for overtaking and running the health care industry?...(that's RUNNING, not RUINING) If they would post their qualifications on line for all to read, it would go a long way in putting people's mind at ease and encourage more support.

Hell, just show me uncle teddy's real life experience in managing ANYTHING other than using his family's name and money to get away with murder.

If these clowns in the DC Politburo are capable of managing the health care industry, then I'm capable of designing, building, and operating nuclear power plants.

zeus80

July 4, 2009 - 6:30 pm EDT

Well, neocon, I didn't know you were capable of running nuclear power plants! Congratulations!

neocon

July 4, 2009 - 7:38 pm EDT

truman, that's as good an answer as I've gotten to date.

Beadbaby

July 4, 2009 - 9:44 pm EDT

I'm surprised no one's mentioned higher gas taxes as part of a healthy lifestyle plan. People walked more last summer because gas was $4 a gallon. Walk more, drive less, healthier. I wish I were better at practicing what I preach!

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