[Geewiz]

Originally Posted by Suzi

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.

Don't forget to bleach that little brush mustache - it's so disquieting.

[Cantwaittoarrive]

Originally Posted by CarolSells

Forbes article today: Obesity Now Costs Americans More In HealthCare Spending Than Smoking

A few points from the article:

Quote {Reuters is reporting that obesity in America is now adding an astounding $190 billion to the annual national healthcare price tag, exceeding smoking as public health enemy number one when it comes to cost.

How serious is the problem? Obesity has risen a full 34% since 1960 while morbid obesity is up sixfold.

Making the cost impact all the more troubling is the fact that, unlike smokers, obese people tend to live almost as long as those who keep their weight under control. ”Smokers die early enough that they save Social Security, private pensions, and Medicare” trillions of dollars”, said Duke’s Eric Finkelstein. “But mortality isn’t that much higher among the obese.”Unquote

Hmmm.. seems like all of us alive today are from the same gene pool that existed in the 1960's. JMHO.

Obesity Now Costs Americans More In HealthCare Spending Than Smoking - Forbes

Yes and in the 60's many more people smoked so maybe that accounts for obesity issues of today? everybody should light up and lose weight.

[tommy steam]

Originally Posted by tag460

Good for CVS, more employers should do the same, obesity cost the health care system millions in return our insurance rates are higher.

Last night on NBC news they said that the cost was in the Billions. I don't remember but it was a lot of billions.

[Serenoa]

Originally Posted by buggyone

Employee wellness programs are a great idea. This should encourage employees to slim down instead of over-indulging on Twinkies and cream soda.

hadn't had one in years, but been jonesing for a Twinkie ever since Hostess went belly up.

thanks for bringing them to my attention....again.

[Suzi]

Originally Posted by Geewiz

Don't forget to bleach that little brush mustache - it's so disquieting.

I guess I must be a little dense......what does that mean?

[CarolSells]

Originally Posted by Cantwaittoarrive

Yes and in the 60's many more people smoked so maybe that accounts for obesity issues of today? everybody should light up and lose weight.

Well, I guess that wouldn't be a very popular idea.....however divorce is always a great diet...just sayin'.

[Geewiz]

Originally Posted by Suzi

I guess I must be a little dense......what does that mean?

Some obesity is lifestyle related; but many folks dealing with morbid obesity eat no differently than their thinner friends. Without knowing the causes of an individual's obesity - blaming, punishing, mocking is at best ignorant and in extreme, similar to the anti-semitic/anti-gypsy attitudes of many Germans in the 1930's. One Austrian/German came up with a "final solution" to rid Europe of these genetic inferiors. He had a brush mustache.

This is a personal issue for me as I come from a chronically obese family that's also Jewish. We experienced far more prejudice due to size than heritage.

It wasn't lifestyle..my thin spouse ate more than me and my two half-brothers (who were raised in a different home) also had the curse.

Of all of us, I opted for surgery (which is not an "easy" option - unless feeling sick after each meal sounds fun and the possibility of immediate defecation is your cup of tea). Still, the surgery works and I am down 150 lbs and still losing.

Still, it is hard to forget the taunts growing up and the rude comments directed at me while with my family.

Prejudice is prejudice. Frankly, now less obese, I take more offense to it as it is no longer my shame. It's like hearing someone cry out, "******." It is offensive and needs to be called out.

[gomoho]

Geewiz - congratulations on a job well done - sorry for the pain others have inflicted. The intolerance of so many on this forum is very unfortunate and I always try to remember that "there but for the grace of God go I". None of us are perfect, no one would rather be miserable that not, but sometimes it just doesn't work out for everyone. So can't we be somewhat more compassionate and less judgemental of our fellow man?

[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by Geewiz

Some obesity is lifestyle related; but many folks dealing with morbid obesity eat no differently than their thinner friends. Without knowing the causes of an individual's obesity - blaming, punishing, mocking is at best ignorant and in extreme, similar to the anti-semitic/anti-gypsy attitudes of many Germans in the 1930's. One Austrian/German came up with a "final solution" to rid Europe of these genetic inferiors. He had a brush mustache.

This is a personal issue for me as I come from a chronically obese family that's also Jewish. We experienced far more prejudice due to size than heritage.

It wasn't lifestyle..my thin spouse ate more than me and my two half-brothers (who were raised in a different home) also had the curse.

Of all of us, I opted for surgery (which is not an "easy" option - unless feeling sick after each meal sounds fun and the possibility of immediate defecation is your cup of tea). Still, the surgery works and I am down 150 lbs and still losing.

Still, it is hard to forget the taunts growing up and the rude comments directed at me while with my family.

Prejudice is prejudice. Frankly, now less obese, I take more offense to it as it is no longer my shame. It's like hearing someone cry out, "******." It is offensive and needs to be called out.

Great post and glad you are doing well as my niece had the same surgery and is also doing well. I totally agree that in a lot of cases it does amount to prejudice and the folks that struggle with it are suffering enough already without being the focus of the entire country and especially those so self-righteous that are condemning them. We don't blame cancer patients for getting cancer and scorn them nor those that get early onset Alzheimers in their 30-40s and we should not blame those that struggle with weight issues. We can say lifestyle is the reason for any illness or problem and scorn those that are unfortunate enought to experience a problem, but wait until they start firing people of a certain age, not that they don't now, just because they can hire younger, leaner, people to replace them that are a lot further away from being in the age bracket where health issues start happening. Unfortuntely we all age no matter how well we take care of ourselves and age will bring health issues never experienced before no matter what we do.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-w..._b_734226.html

[perrjojo]

The article says CVS workers must report weight, glucose levels and body fat to the insurer or pay a fine. It does not say they pay a penalty for higher weight, etc. Private insurance often does require a physical exam as well. I'm not saying it is a good or bad idea...only that CVS is not collecting the info; the insurer is.

[janmcn]

Originally Posted by perrjojo

The article says CVS workers must report weight, glucose levels and body fat to the insurer or pay a fine. It does not say they pay a penalty for higher weight, etc. Private insurance often does require a physical exam as well. I'm not saying it is a good or bad idea...only that CVS is not collecting the info; the insurer is.

You are correct, and it is the insurer that is charging the extra $600 per year.

[saratogaman]

Originally Posted by Heartnsoul

That's NOT progress!!! That's a result of the new Affordable Healthcare Law!!

On what do you base that conclusion?
It's not mentioned in the original article presented to us.
If you have specific info to support your statement, please cite source.

[mrfixit]

Originally Posted by Serenoa

hadn't had one in years, but

been "jonesing for a Twinkie" ever since Hostess went belly up.

thanks for bringing them to my attention....again.

Luckily our supply of Hostess.....
................TWINKIES ...HO-HO's ...DING DONGS and CUP CAKES...
.................................................. ..should be available again by fall.
C. Dean Metropoulos and his sons Daren and Evan (Metropoulos & Co.)
have partnered with Apollo Global Mgt. (Leon Black) to purchase the Old "Hostess" money machine.

[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by Geewiz

Some obesity is lifestyle related; but many folks dealing with morbid obesity eat no differently than their thinner friends. Without knowing the causes of an individual's obesity - blaming, punishing, mocking is at best ignorant and in extreme, similar to the anti-semitic/anti-gypsy attitudes of many Germans in the 1930's. One Austrian/German came up with a "final solution" to rid Europe of these genetic inferiors. He had a brush mustache.

This is a personal issue for me as I come from a chronically obese family that's also Jewish. We experienced far more prejudice due to size than heritage.

It wasn't lifestyle..my thin spouse ate more than me and my two half-brothers (who were raised in a different home) also had the curse.

Of all of us, I opted for surgery (which is not an "easy" option - unless feeling sick after each meal sounds fun and the possibility of immediate defecation is your cup of tea). Still, the surgery works and I am down 150 lbs and still losing.

Still, it is hard to forget the taunts growing up and the rude comments directed at me while with my family.

Prejudice is prejudice. Frankly, now less obese, I take more offense to it as it is no longer my shame. It's like hearing someone cry out, "******." It is offensive and needs to be called out.

great post and great job with your health! your surgical procedure required more of a lifestyle adjustment that most anyone here realizes! sorry you had to bear the slings and arrows from the ignorant; and thanx for calling them out for it...prejudice is prejudice!

[mrfixit]

Originally Posted by Suzi

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 will relay your deep thinking approach to my dear friend Dave ....
...................his ultra thin daughter died of Juvenile Diabetes at eleven.