Obesity: Is it a Disease? Insurance Implications

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    Disease Obesity
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the classification of obesity as a disease and its implications for insurance coverage, particularly regarding surgical interventions like stomach stapling. Participants explore the psychological and behavioral aspects of obesity, as well as societal attitudes towards health and personal responsibility.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the rationale behind insurance coverage for stomach stapling, suggesting it raises issues about the nature of obesity and its classification as a disease.
  • Another participant asserts that obesity is a disease due to its association with various health problems, acknowledging a psychological component.
  • A participant inquires about other medical conditions that may contribute to obesity, such as thyroid issues.
  • Discussion includes the idea that many diseases have psychological aspects, with examples of lifestyle choices leading to health issues like heart disease and diabetes.
  • One participant expresses frustration with public health issues related to smoking and obesity, advocating for better education and healthier food options in schools.
  • Another participant comments on the differences in health behaviors and attitudes towards food between Western and Eastern cultures.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether obesity should be classified as a disease and the implications of this classification for insurance coverage. There is no consensus on the best approach to addressing obesity and its related health issues.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight various assumptions about personal responsibility, societal influences, and the psychological aspects of obesity, but these remain unresolved within the discussion.

Echo 6 Sierra
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I just read the following article and can't understand why stapling the stomach would be an expense that might get covered under insurance?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52835-2004Jul15.html

If stapling the stomach reduces the amount of food that gets in, is that the same as saying that food causes the disease? Why not wire the jaws shut? Would my gym membership and dietary suppliments be covered under insurance? Will this fall under the Americans with Disability Act(title?)? I understand that there are circumstances that are legitimately medical in nature that would cause a person to gain weight no matter the attempted prevention but COME ON! Are my insurance rates going to go up due to a flood of new claimants filing for treatment of this new disease because they are addicted to unhealthy food? If so, I think there will be that much more of a stigma associated with obesity through resentment than there currently is. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my pasta with cream sauce, chowing at the chinese food restaurant till it hurts to breath, my #4 no-onions super-sized with a bladder-buster, and I can't remember the last time I ate rabbit food unless it was on a bun, but let's be real here folks.

Isn't this more of a psycological issue? You know, changing habits and what not. Comfort foods and all...

What's next? Hair loss? Ugliness? Body odor?
 
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Insurance pays for stomach stapling because obesity itself generally causes health problems that cost more than the stapling surgery.

Yes, obesity is certainly a disease, and yes, it is a generally psychological in nature. There are a few people who have medical conditions that physically prevent them from maintaining their weight, however.

- Warren
 
Thanks. Thyroid fluctuation (hyper/hypo) is one believe. Are there any others?
 
Many insurance companies will pay for bariatric surgeries for the same reason they pay for bypass surgeries, insulin pumps, blood-pressure medicines, nebulizers, and so on and so on. Many, many disease processes have a psychological aspect to them. People won't exercise, live a life of indulgence and poor eating habits, then, surprise, have heart disease. They smoke, then develop emphysema.Type II diabetes is often precipitated by a sedentary lifestyle as well. People stay in bad relationships, wrecking havoc with their physical systems. You can even point to a psychological cause of many trauma injuries (won't wear seatbelts, engage in dangerous activities such as rock climbing when they have not properly trained, and so forth). The result of overeating is certainly very visible, but many medical conditions are brought about or worsened by personal behavior.
 
every western nation pretty much need to get a friggin wakeup call on health issues... if smoking and obesity didn't cause some really big national bills, i would just let it be the users (former smoker myself) deal with it themselves... (of course more info on related diseases would be a nice supplement to every cigarette and hamburger in the world...)
but since this is not the case, i can't see why smoking should be disallowed almost everywhere where other people are subjected to it... this includes workplaces, restaurants and bars... they migth want to **** up the last 5 years they have to live (those are usually the worst for smokers, not the actual dying itself) but it's damn irresponsible to subject others to the same hazards... that's like bringing a bug-spray to public places and walking around, spraying it into the faces of other people... guess what? that would count as being illegal...

there's only one way to fix the food problem though... info, info, info everywhere... teach the kids about health from young age... and good nurishing food in schools and cafeterias (notice how sandwiches always have a 1 inch layer of butter or miracle whip that you have to scrape off before devouring?)...
the problem is, that people think drinking diet coke with the hamburger and "ligth" fries is healthy food... info, info, info... people need to get a clue...

'aigth... i'll get off my soap box now, before i over-heat... ;)
 
balkan said:
every western nation pretty much need to get a friggin wakeup call on health issues...

I wonder how life expectancy differs between the two hemispheres.
 
well.. half the population of china smokes... but they've very few alcoholics in the eastern hemisphere and, compared to the populace, very few McD's and BK's... plus they've generally got an attitude about a healthy mind in a healthy body... it's not all silly compared to what we're experiencing over here...