Tag Archive for health-care at Zeal For Truth

Tag Archive for 'health-care'

The War on Obesity

Published by Jasen Tracy February 11, 2008 in Politics and Current Events. 26 Comments

There is no doubt that obesity is a major health problem. Obesity is a risk factor for several conditions, including: cancer, diabetes, gallbladder problems, gout, heart disease, high blood pressure, and breathing problems such as sleep apnea and asthma.

Over 32 percent of the adult population in the U.S. is obese. Europe is quickly approaching the U.S. level. This problem now is even staring to face developing countries as processed items from industrialized countries are becoming cheaper than traditional local items.

The U.N. now says that there are more obese people than starving ones. Obesity worldwide is soon projected to be a bigger health problem than AIDS and malaria combined.

There is concern about the increased in health care costs due to obesity. A recent study in the Netherlands however, found that over a lifetime obese people cost less to treat than regular weight people because they die sooner. That is likely to be small comfort to obese people and national health services that are facing raising health care costs now.

Worldwide governments are scrambling to come up with solutions.

Some Proposals:
Maryland - is in the process of making walking the official state exercise.

New Mexico - has a proposal to tax video games to fund promotion of healthier lifestyles. This legislation is cleverly titled “No Child Left Inside.”

Mississippi - legislators have introduced a bill that would ban restaurants from serving obese people. The bill is short on specifics and is widely seen as being a publicity stunt.

France - will ban commercials for certain food products during children’s programming. In addition there’s plans for this vague sounding paragraph: “The French government’s plans include the setting up of a food quality watchdog and focus on supermarket groups reviewing their sweet and chocolates display policies and withdrawing stocks from checkouts.”

European Union - thinks that better labeling on food products might help.

Perhaps the biggest news story related to obesity the last couple of weeks has come from the United Kingdom. The result of a survey of doctors was published, showing that 60% of doctors thought that the National Health Service (NHS) could not afford to provide full health care to everyone. They suggested that the unhealthy (obese, smokers, heavy drinkers) and the elderly might have to be denied certain treatments.

The reaction to this was predictable. People were outraged that anyone would deny them their right to full health care. But once government is in charge of health care, isn’t this pretty much inevitable? If I take pains to avoid any lifestyle health risks, why should my tax money be used to pay for those who don’t?

Will we see more governments restricting freedoms in order to combat obesity?

British Supernanny(state) might just come to America to help save you from yourself.

Published by Ornot the Majestic July 24, 2007 in Politics and Current Events. 5 Comments

*For some reference, see what I wrote several weeks ago about the current push for healthcare reform in the U.S.*

Supernanny

“My dearest Britains, put down your quaking cuppa and let me wipe the tears of fear from your eyes. Here, take this spoonful of sugar, for this medicine may be a little bitter, but it’s good for you. I know better than you, don’t you see? Now now, stop your crying! Don’t you worry a tit, Supernanny(state) is here to save you from the worst enemy you have ever faced. A demon who lurks in the shadows and preys, ever so slowly, on your individual. This demon lurks within you and must be excised for the good of the state…and you. Don’t you understand? It is you you should be fearing! Suppernanny(state) is here to save you from yourself! It is for your own good, and all we care about is your well being and your life!!

Also, you’re bloody expensive.”

Researchers at Oxford University say that charging Value Added Tax (VAT) at 17.5 percent on foods deemed to be unhealthy would cut consumer demand and reduce the number of heart attacks and strokes……The move could save an estimated 3,200 lives in Britain each year, according to the study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

While I hate to seem the heartless miser, but with a population of 60 million and an obesity rate of nearly one quarter of that number, it’s hard to think that such an increase of tax is purely philanthropic. Rising costs of N.H.S. (National Health Service, Britain’s publicly funded health provider with a 2007-2008 budget of 104 billion pounds sterling) has already forced them to start rationing care, including denying hip replacements to those considered to be “obese”.

Is anyone surprised? I’m not.

In fact, this is to be expected. Private businesses know that to in order to control costs, you have to either a) increase your influx of capital, b) reduce your outflow and/or c) do both. Why should a government run system be any different? If obesity is a burden on the system, it is only natural that they must then pay more for what they will most likely take (the same principle that American insurance companies use for high risk individuals, but are so chastised for by the Michael Moore’s of this nation. Oh the irony.). What is the final cost? Well, your choice, of course. Like all good socialist programs, it’s a slow ex-sanguination by the hands of the very people who begged to be saved from themselves.

Yet, this is Britain. It’s across the pond, and the Prime Minister isn’t exactly a US President, right? Think again. Considering the recent bans on trans-fats in both New York City and Seattle, the plague of smoking bans across US states, it seems Americans want the same “salvation” in the loving arms of Supernanny(state). Even more alarming, with a population of nearly five times that of the U.K., and projected obesity rates of 75% by 2015, perhaps we should consider what we are giving up while we are pushing so hard to give in.

Don’t worry, that “free” health care is going to cost you.

Franchising: a New Approach to Health Care in Kenya

Published by Jasen Tracy June 11, 2007 in Current Events. 8 Comments

A couple of weeks ago PBS aired an interesting show about CFW, an organization that is using a franchising model to open health centers in Kenya. The whole PBS show, and some other information, is available on the PBS website. CFW has also recently been covered in Business Daily Africa, a Nairobi based newspaper.

The founders of CFW noted that over half a trillion dollars in the last 40 years have been given in foreign aid to Sub-Sahara Africa, but that all of this money has had little impact. They concluded that instead of more money, a new approach was needed. They decided to borrow from the franchise concept, which has had so much success in fast food and other industries, and to use it to address health care in Kenya.

Kenyans own and operate the individual CFW franchises, which are for profit enterprises. In exchange for their $300 franchise fee, they get business and medical training, marketing assistance, and a loan for medical supplies. They focus on easily preventable diseases. Over 70% of the childhood deaths in Africa are caused by easily prevented diseases, for which cheap medicines exist. The government run health care system in Kenya provides these medicines for free. Problems ranging from counterfeit drugs, logistical failings, inability to regulate pharmacies (an estimated 2/3 of which are operating illegally), and overcrowding, make their efforts largely ineffective however.

Despite treating many patients that are unable to pay, the franchises typically make a profit and provide a living for both the owner/operator and in most cases a hired nurse as well. The standardization, oversight, and timely delivery of drugs from CFW ensures that their medicines are good and that they are effectively administered. The franchisor obligations of CFW are supported by donations, which makes it an interesting combination of charity and for-profit business. The hope though is that as more franchises open, that CFW will be able to become completely self-supporting from franchise fees and selling medicines to the individual franchises.

This concept shows promise that it can succeed in bettering people’s lives in places where foreign aid has been far less successful than hoped.

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