Monday, June 04, 2007
No, it's not about granting universal coverage. It's not a remedy that punishes drug companies and HMO corporations for excessive profits, denying coverage to people who need it, rejecting claims for treatments people need.
It's to call everybody too fat.
Government records show that 75 percent of health-care costs and seven out of every 10 deaths are attributable to chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Obesity, which has doubled in 30 years, is by itself responsible for 30 percent of the increase in health-care costs during that period. In far too many cases, perhaps a majority, treatment of these diseases is intermittent and inconsistent. What is worse, little has been done to prevent them or arrest them in their early stages.
"Once you put those numbers on it, the policy implications are pretty clear," Thorpe said in an interview. "You start with prevention and better management of obesity and high blood pressure -- not the contentious issues that have dominated the debate."
Yes, let's forget about the uninsured. That is much too contentious. Most Americans object to people getting insurance. How can this debate ever get resolved? Let's just drop it for a while and get people on treadmasters. I am not sure if it will cure asthma, but let's think outside the box here.
That janitor who makes $10 an hour doesn't need to be able to get treatment in a health clinic. He needs to do some pilates instead. That person who was diagnosed with cancer between jobs doesn't need an oncologist, he needs a protein bar. Keep speaking truth to power Broder.
Listen. I am all for people getting healthier. Let's not forget though that it is large corporations putting crap in our food that is helping us get so unhealthy. David Broder suggesting though that we can safely ignore covering the working poor and the lower middle class in this country with a plan of physical fitness makes me wonder about his commitment to anything other than corporate profits.
Let them eat rice cake David?
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