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<blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote>"We wouldn't need health care reform if there were fewer fat people."</blockquote><br />If this was directed at my post I'm afraid you misunderstood. The point was that obesity is a major reason that we didn't have health care reform years ago.<br /><br />At the current levels it accounts for at least 10% of total health care costs - can you think of any other single factor that costs as much?<br /><br />By comparison the profits reaped by pharmaceutical and insurance companies accounts for only 2% or so.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.usnews.com/health/managing-your-healthcare/healthcare/articles/2010/03/24/poll-finds-americans-blame-insurers-drug-companies-for-rising-health-costs.html">http://www.usnews.com/health/managing-yo...alth-costs.html</a> </blockquote><br />I don't think you could be more wrong if you tried. Geriatric care is a bigger factor. And it's not just the profits made by the insurance industry that have to be taken into account, it's the third or so of all expenditures that go into propping up the insurance side of the health care industry. That's money that does nothing at all to care for people.<br /><br />This is why European countries get better health care results for half the money we pay here. They're not skimming off the top to support a health care industry that passes out multi-million dollar bonuses. Those bonuses aren't even considered to be profits in our system! </blockquote><br />An elderly person can't help being elderly, an obese person can, in the vast majority of cases, do something about their weight.<br /><br />As for the rest, it would be a little more impressive if you could post any stats or specific info to back it up like I did. <br /><br />BTW, have you seen anything in the bill that just passed that will prevent these bonuses from being given out? </blockquote><br />No, I don't. I'm not defending the bill there, just talking about the system in general.<br /><br />I don't get your point about what people can't help being, since all we were talking about there is what the biggest cost factor is. And geriatric care is bigger than fat people - especially since some geriatrics are fat.<br /><br />I don't feel like searching for some wonk site that no one will read, but do you really think geriatric costs are less than 10%?
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