This article is a large part of the reason why I am terrified by universal healthcare. The Australian government is willing to pay for weight-loss programs which are not proven to work long-term, or for bariatric surgery which would mean I would never eat normally again and probably cause me great pain for the rest of my life, but it would not provide health care for me. Mind you, although I am over the average weight, my blood pressure tends to be low, I've had several normal EKGs, and I have my cholesterol tested yearly and have never had a problem. Overweight does not automatically equal unhealthy. Yet the Australian government has latched onto several medical untruths and is proving that "universal" only means "if you fit our unscientific notions of what we politicians think is best."
I'm warning everyone right now that anyone who leaves a nasty, condescending or otherwise impolite comment will have it deleted. This is my house. I'm sharing somewhat private information only because I feel the overall message needs to get out. I won't stand for being lectured in my house.
9 comments:
Creepy. Makes me very frightened of an Obama administration.
I always say... if the government run healthcare for troops (the VA) doesn't work well, what makes people think government care for the rest of us will be any better. Free markets are the best way to ration resources.
not sure i agree with weight loss surgery... but then i don't expect i'll need it anyway... i've never had my blood pressure checked except in pregnancy, i know i'm in the "normal BMI index" or whatever it's called and my Gym Bunny Instructor measured my fat to muscle ratio and i'm two dits or whatever above the ideal. (and she said that was great) ...
like, who works that all out anyway?
probably a Gym Bunny Instructor who wants peeps to join their gym lol.
mwah X
Yeah, I hear you on the government health care. Even with my past INSANE cost, I don't want socialized HC either. The closest I came to finding a good idea that I agreed with, was the Paul campaign one.
The major problem with all this is letting the rest of our countries issues slide to heck, which affects our healthcare system then.
EC, I'm frightened of it too. Not sure where people like my husband and I will end up on the socialism ladder.
Liz, the troops should get the best health care of everyone, I think.
Kate, I get my blood pressure taken every time I go to the doctor's. So do my daughters. It seems to be part of the standard checkup along with temperature and weight. I admire your Gym Bunny workouts, but they are definitely not for me! At least, not so intense. The treadmill is all I aspire to. Did you know my husband and I wouldn't be allowed to move to your beautiful country because of our weight?
LL, one of the things that seems to be killing health care in your part of the country is illegal immigration. And yet illegals get medical care in emergencies. Everybody is guaranteed health care in an emergency. Hard to deal with because it is such a huge drain.
Yes, illegal immigration is a major factor, and our basic socialist state in general has screwed things up in so many ways.
Unfortunately, it is not just my state anymore. It's spreading fast to all of the US.
Hi Barb,
Socialized healthcare scares me as well. I don't want the government telling me what doctors I can see and putting me on waiting lists for any tests or surgery I may need. At least in places like the UK, I believe you can go outside the system and get a private doctor if you want to. In Canada, I'm pretty sure it is illegal to do so. And I don't want the government dictating to me what I can eat or drink, what my weight should be and other personal things like that.
Interesting topic, Barb. I've not thought about that aspect of it before. Like you, I am above the recommended BMI, but I have excellent BP, healthy cholesterol levels, and according to my recent health assessment at the Y, am in pretty darn good shape.
We also tend not to take medication and tend to take a nutritional/lifestyle approach to health matters. I just have a feeling that ANY government healthcare wouldn't be a good fit.
I also have too many recent government bureaucracy experiences to make me want to go there for health care.
My physical health is good, but since I am bipolar I do need medication for that and good mental health support. My husband, on the other hand, has Hashimoto's disease. This means his thyroid is dying off fairly quickly and he needs to have it checked on often and have thyroid medication. He also has some other issues that have nothing to do with his weight, but I wonder how much health care we would receive under a government plan.
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