From now on Obesity is classified as Disease (in US)

Originally posted by snowspirit

If obesity is now a disease, does that mean those people that are obese now have a pre-existing condition? What does that do to the health insurance of people that have diseases that could be caused by obesity, like type 2 diabetes, etc? Is their obamacare cost going to rise even more

I do not know how the insurance system works there exactly. Here my employer just pays 13% extra on my salary as social security tax, so total expense is 113% of my salary to him and it covers every health cost.

Although as far as I know about the consequences of this decision on the health cost, it probably will as more to cover. When before obesity-treatment used to not be covered by insurance then now it is.

As it stands, insurance policies "generally exclude obesity treatment," Aronne said Wednesday on "CBS This Morning," which limits the treatment of obesity-related conditions, including "diabetes, high blood pressure, even cancers [that] are caused by obesity."

Aronne explained that for clinically obese patients, treatment is not as simple as eating less and exercising more.

"Once obesity is established, there are physical mechanisms that take hold that make it very difficult for people to lose weight," he said.

"As people gain weight, damage occurs to the signalling pathways between the fat cells, the stomach, the intestine and the brain," Aronne said. "The brain can't tell how much food is coming in and how much fat is stored."

Medical therapies and procedures like the lap-band or gastric bypass surgeries are courses of treatment that may now be included in insurance coverage, based on the AMA's decision.

www.cbsnews.com...

It needs motivation to get rid of obesity, not medicines.

If it goes the medical way, then we will open up the doors for tons of strange medicines with even more side effects than we can possibly imagine (which in term bring another type of market for side effects medicines).

Give people motivations and the problem will be gone in no time.

So how many of you people in here bashing overweight people, are also on the forefront of "tolerance" for other lifestyles? The way you make it sound skinny people are disease free. If only fat people had heart disease , and or others listed above then i see the point. Black people are more prone to things like sickle cell does that mean being black is a disease? NO! What a sad state of affairs we live in.

This BS makes me mad as Hell.

How about classify the cause of obesity as a disease - The American Diet, fast food, over processed denatured foods that are loaded with harmful chemicals.

Unless those VERY STUPID people address THIS, the obesity problem will continue to climb. And they Won't address it - too much money to be made in the food biz and they have super strong lobbying power.

We're doomed.

On the flip side I get to tell my wife she has a disease

I guess there will be no "Run for the Cure!"

It's because of Obamacare. Let us reason together about the repercussions.

Obesity is now declared to be a “disease,”

Will this create another group who will apply en mass for disability?

Will airlines no longer be able to charge obese people more, as that would be a violation of Americans with Disabilities act?

What about the treatment of an overweight job applicant?

Can they challenge higher insurance rates? Will they even be charged more since they have a "disease?" (Remember Obamacare does not allow for pre-existing conditions.)

Time to build a bigger mortuary table.

www.3news.co.nz...

Got to love the health professional at the end going on about take-a-ways. Why do these academic hippies all unhealthy themselves ?

reply to post by Cabin

Whether it actually is a disease or not, it was a right decision in my opinion. Obesity is a huge problem in US, costing billions of extra dollars a year for the country (of also other taxpayer´s money) + giving a bad example for the future generations. That is something that should be fought with. Unfortunately in other countries also overweight is becoming the new "normal", even though it is not and some of the example of it is coming from US, whether we like it or not... This decisions will hopefully lead to more government intervention, whether taxing fast food/soft drinks higher, banning fast-food and unhealthy meals from schools or just investing much more to health-related education and campaigns for awareness of this issue. I know many people would call it "nannying", but well, if too many people weren´t like kids and failed to take responsibility over themselves as grownups should do in the first place, somebody has to nanny, as this is negatively affecting the society as a whole.

First you say it's a tax burden, then in almost the same breathe you say that you're ok with being taxed for it. Would you make up your mind already?

Then could you also tell me why YOU are willing to be punished for other people's bad habits and choices?

The hypocrisy of some of you people is un fathomable. If you want to know what's wrong with America, because its not obesity....it's you. Look in the mirror!

You have sheep written all over your forehead.

But I suppose it's all the fat people's fault.

Um.....its not a disease, its a symptom and fallout damage, from many conditions, and also, it relates to some body types, it also relates to how many age, and to their deliberate abuse of human diet, their GMO, and their war against the real nutrients you need and the normal good fats you need for bones, brain, health.

Its a sin to even think you have the right to control a person other than to stop them from invading your home and/or harming you directly, ie theft, rape, murder, such as that.

It is a sin to judge others as well.

By the way, the real people, the good hearts that I've met, are not the beautiful ones, they're the most selfish. Toddlers.

Originally posted by txinfidel

First you say it's a tax burden, then in almost the same breathe you say that you're ok with being taxed for it. Would you make up your mind already?

Then could you also tell me why YOU are willing to be punished for other people's bad habits and choices?

The hypocrisy of some of you people is un fathomable. If you want to know what's wrong with America, because its not obesity....it's you. Look in the mirror!

You have sheep written all over your forehead.

But I suppose it's all the fat people's fault.

Currently you are punished for other people´s bad habits, at least in US with the current system.

I personally support higher taxes on consumption, especially on bad habits. Here is 20% flat sales tax, I would prefer rising the tax to 35-40% on sweets/fastfood/sweet drink and lowering the sales tax to around 10-15% on other foods. Those who want can still consume these easily, although the amounts are far lower, as people can not afford drinking these daily. I love the sweet drink tax in France for example, 2-3 $ for 11,3 ounce coca cola Sweet tax in Finland is also nice. I also prefer high gasoline taxes, which are invested into strong public transportation system and better infrastructure for bicyclists and pedestrians.

I personally and I doubt nobody would get punished for such actions, except the people who excessively consume these items. Anybody who wants can afford these things in moderate amount, although excessive use would only be affordable for people with higher finances.

Also I have nothing against certain tax burden, if I get enough for it. I might pay taxes more than in US round here, although I get more than its worth for it, thats why I´m happy to pay these taxes - full health coverage for 10% of my salary, considering I have doctor´s visits quite often; not spent a dime on getting myself masters degree + 2 bachelors in strong universities. All taxes together are approximately 40% of my salary, although there are many benefits I get for it: free healthcare, free higher education, paid vacations/paid sick leave, 3 years of paid parent vacation for me or my wife when we have a child, totally secured for unemployment ( 6 months of similar to last salary+free trainings) , future pension, free public transportation system etc etc. And the countries debt is one of the lowest in the world, so it is not bankrupting the country...

A disease?

I'd class stupidity as a disease before obesity.

Seriously... stupid idiots.. if you eat that crap day in day out, don't exercise and spend your down time on the couch watching American idol.. i hope you fall of this mortal coil from heart failure or liver disease so the rest of the 'half intelligent' types can make use of your medical facilities.

obesity a disease... that's like saying smoking is a disease (but we cant do that because they put too much money into the hands of the politicians)

i bet there is a loser out there trying to classify it as a mental disorder "lock up the fat people in a psych ward, i mean come on, we could make some serious money from this".