I am large. I am not sick.

scales

I have struggled with weight issues my entire life.  In my (now) 55 years, I have lost and regained the equivalent of body mass for several people.

But, I’m not sick.

Michael Tanner from the CATO Institute, noting that the American Medical Association has announced they will declare obesity a disease, writes:

But while obesity is a real problem, the AMA’s move is actually a way for its members to receive more federal dollars, by getting obesity treatments covered under government health plans. A bipartisan group of congressmen has already seized on the AMA declaration as they push for Medicare coverage of diet drugs. Observers also expect an effort to expand Medicare reimbursement for bariatric surgery, a.k.a. stomach stapling. And there will almost certainly be pressure to mandate coverage for these things by private insurance carriers, under both state laws and the Affordable Care Act.

Read the whole article via Obesity Is Not a Disease | National Review Online.

Yes, obesity is an epidemic.  Yes, it costs our health care system billions annually.  Yes, it causes or hinders many other real health issues.

But, it’s not a disease.

I don’t know where the tipping point in our country was that took us from being self-reliant, resilient explorers to being dependent upon the government for our every breath.

Call me an alarmist and send me a tin foil hat but believing government knows best led to the annihilation of 6 million Jews.

The U.S. isn’t there yet, but we can find it on Mapquest.  We are fools if we think that more dependency on the federal government is in our best interest.

Michael Tanner has been leading the charge against Obamacare.  Years ago, I worked with Michael at the American Legislative Exchange Council where he played a significant role in the defeat of what was then called Hillarycare.

Tanner notes that “Big government reduces all of us to the status of children. We have no responsibility for anything in our lives; therefore, government must take care of us. All we have to do, like children, is give up the freedom to make our own choices — good or bad.”

Tomorrow is Independence Day.  It’s time we remembered what that really means.

And, while we’re at it, let’s pay attention to what we’re eating.

1 comments

  1. What’s the measurement they use to declare obesity? If it’s the BMI, then I’m obese too, though I definitely don’t consider myself to be. I think there are other measures that could/should be worked into an assessment of someone’s overall health, like % body fat, or cardio capacity, or activity level. The idea that you have a “disease” because that BMI slips over 30 is silly. Mine is 34 (so I’m 64 pounds above the top of the “normal” weight range), and you know what I look like – overweight, yes, diseased, no.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

slot777situs luar gacorslot toto gacorslot mahjongslot gacor hari inislot server luarslot mahjong gacorsitus luar gacorlink gacor maxwinslot gacor maxwinslot luar negerislot 88slot toto gacorslot luar negerislot gacor 88slot maxwinslot toto gacorslot gacor maxwinlink alternatif pacutoto99slot gacor maxwinslot toto gacorslot gacor 4dslot maxwinslot 4d gacorsitus slot gacorslot gacor maxwinslot maxwinslot totoslot server luarslot luar gacormaxwin totositus luar gacorsitus slot gacorslot toto gacorsitus luar gacortoto gacorslot totoslot luar gacorsitus luar gacorslot server luarslot toto gacortoto gacorslot totoslot luar gacorsitus luar gacorslot gacor maxwinslot server luarslot luar gacorslot gacor maxwinmaxwin totolink gacor maxwinslot gacormaxwin slotslot maxwinslot gacor maxwinslot toto gacor maxwinslot maxwinslot asiaslot server luarslot jepangslot server asiaslot luar negerislot server thailandspaceman slotslot 4dthailand slotserver jepang gacorasia slotslot gacor maxwintoto slot gacorslot thailand resmiserver thailand slotserver jepang slotserver asia slotserver malaysia slotserver luar slotserver macau slotserver hongkong slotslot luar 4dslot toto gacorslot server thailandslot server luar negerislot dana 5000slot thailandslot server jepangslot server luarslot luar negeri 4dslot dana gacorsitus toto gacorslot toto gacorslot server luarpacutoto99 link alternatifslot gacor 4dslot server thailandslot server luarslot dana 5000slot toto gacorslot luarslot luar negeritotoslot luar 4dws168toto slotslot gacor maxwinslot totoslot maxwinslot luar 4dslot luarslot asiatoto gacorslot totoslot gacor 4dslot gacor server luar hari inislot toto gacorslot onlinesabung ayam onlineslot server luarslot server thailandslot totoslot gacor server luar hari inislot toto gacorslot server luarslot luar negerisv388slot thailanddigmaanslot totoslot server luarsv388slot thailandsv388slot totosv388digmaanws168slot totoslot server thailanddigmaanslot totopacutoto99luarsv388ws168totopacutoto99pacutoto99pacutoto99