Quote:
Originally Posted by Geewiz
The difference between smoking and obesity is that one is a lifestyle choice (smoking) and the other (obesity) has a strong genetic component. While it's fair for an employer to encourage that the chronically obese seek treatment for the side effects of their condition (diabetes - high blood pressure) and try to make lifestyle choices that help mitigate their genetic tenancy - the only established "cure" that works close to 100% over a 5 to 10 year period is bariatric surgery (typically - a gastric bypass). Blaming obese folks for being obese is like blaming black folks for being black...genes are genes. The Nazi's tried to eliminate those with an "undesirable" genetic heritage...I would like to think we have progressed from that point of view.
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A strong genetic component should not give license to eat everything you desire (or stuff your face as a previous poster had suggested) not any more than a family history of alcoholism should allow you to drink anything you want "because it is inevitable". I'd be a rich woman if I had $10 for every patient that told me "I'm a diabetic cuz my family was or I have high blood pressure because my family all have it". It is because they are too fat or overweight. I have ALL those problems in my genetics and I try to keep myself in decent shape and weight. NO EXCUSES.
As far a CVS, what do you think the company looses in lost revenues from these weight related health problems? Think about it - if you owned a business and had the choice of hiring someone overweight (who has all sort of potential health problems) or one of average weight who is less likely to need time off or incur lots of medical expenses - which would you hire? Time is money when you own a business. How do you deal with absences due to poor health. Who takes their place? Does production stop? Businesses are so lean these days that there are not extra bodies to take over someone else's job. BESIDES THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WON'T BE A HEALTHY WEIGHT UNLESS THEY HAVE TO. And thats a fact. Whether its me who keeps trim because of a "genetic predisposition" or the person who needs a job and can't keep one because they are too overweight.....it comes to the same conclusion........don't be fat or overweight.