Monday, February 04, 2008

Save Health Care: Have a Brat

We should be encouraging smoking and gluttony to solve our health care woes.

In a paper published online Monday in the Public Library of Science Medicine journal, Dutch researchers found that the health costs of thin and healthy people in adulthood are more expensive than those of either fat people or smokers.

Van Baal and colleagues created a model to simulate lifetime health costs for three groups of 1,000 people: the “healthy-living” group (thin and non-smoking), obese people, and smokers. The model relied on “cost of illness” data and disease prevalence in the Netherlands in 2003.

The researchers found that from age 20 to 56, obese people racked up the most expensive health costs. But because both the smokers and the obese people died sooner than the healthy group, it cost less to treat them in the long run.

On average, healthy people lived 84 years. Smokers lived about 77 years, and obese people lived about 80 years. Smokers and obese people tended to have more heart disease than the healthy people.

Cancer incidence, except for lung cancer, was the same in all three groups. Obese people had the most diabetes, and healthy people had the most strokes. Ultimately, the thin and healthy group cost the most, about $417,000, from age 20 on.

The cost of care for obese people was $371,000, and for smokers, about $326,000.

The results counter the common perception that preventing obesity will save health systems worldwide millions of dollars.

Just think… maybe insurers will start giving incentives for people to eat more and smoke!  Maybe they’ll waive your deductible if you weigh over 400 pounds, or you can earn points toward a cruise for every pack of cigarettes you smoke!  Sooner or later, society will come around to endorsing our bad habits.

(7) Comments
Posted by Owen at 2214 hrs
Culture

  1. I read the headline and, not being from Wisconsin, thought at first that having a child would save healthcare. smile

    Posted by Leisureguy on February 04, 2008 at 2315 hrs


  2. Funny study! Still, we should eat healthy if we want to live longer. As stated in the article, the only reason why it cost less to care for obese people and smokers is because their life span is shorter than healthy individuals.

    Posted by Estela on February 05, 2008 at 0452 hrs


  3. It would not come as a surprise when insurance companies actually give incentives to subscribers to eat and live unhealthily. I would gladly do it, you eat, drink, and be merry, so to speak, and get money. Talk about jackpot. Haha. Kidding.

    Posted by Tim on February 05, 2008 at 0835 hrs


  4. See! Cut the Cig tax and you won’t have to put up with me longer than necessary! LOL

    Posted by Billiam on February 05, 2008 at 0844 hrs


  5. So then by this logic the health insurance companies would also encourage reckless driving and other activities that will take you out sooner rather than later…?

    I’m surprised that the average cost of healthcare for the life of a healthy person is under half a million. I wonder how much the average healthy person pays into insurance over their lifetime?

    Posted by Matt on February 05, 2008 at 1228 hrs


  6. Actually Matt, I think that only becomes true once you retire or are close to retirement.  Until then you are paying in to the system.  So really the logic states that when you retire, please…kill yourself off quickly so you are not a burden on society.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 05, 2008 at 1440 hrs


  7. I think to save life is to caring self. To avoid expensive health costs don’t eat too much, don’t be a chain smoker. It’s also an obligation to take care ourselves and not to abuse the life given to us by the Lord. Amen…

    Posted by Carlo on February 06, 2008 at 0336 hrs


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