Two stories in less than a week about waistline police.
First, the Christian Science Monitor reported on the WP on January 7, 2009.
Imagine a country where the government regularly checks the waistlines of citizens over age 40. Anyone deemed too fat would be required to undergo diet counseling. Those who fail to lose sufficient weight could face further "reeducation" and their communities subject to stiff fines.
Is this some nightmarish dystopia?
No, this is contemporary Japan.
The Japanese government argues that it must regulate citizens' lifestyles because it is paying their health costs. This highlights one of the greatly underappreciated dangers of "universal healthcare." Any government that attempts to guarantee healthcare must also control its costs. The inevitable next step will be to seek to control citizens' health and their behavior. Hence, Americans should beware that if we adopt universal healthcare, we also risk creating a "nanny state on steroids" antithetical to core American principles.
So all you fatties, just remember that when soon-to-be President Obama starts his call for universal healthcare. And all you smokers and alcohol drinkers and candy-eaters had better be careful too. You may just find yourselves left out in cold without medical care too.
The second WP story takes place in the UK. The Times Online (UK) reported today about the woes of a fat couple in Leeds.
A married couple have spoken of their shock after being turned down to adopt on the grounds that one of them is too fat.
Damien and Charlotte Hall approached Leeds City Council about adoption after discovering that they were unable to have children of their own.
They were told that Mr Hall’s size, at six foot one and a weight of 24-and-a-half stone (156kg [or 343 lbs.]), made him morbidly obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 42.
In a letter, the council told them his BMI must be below 40 before the couple could be considered as potential parents because of a risk he could become ill or even die.
“The bottom line is I’m too fat. I just feel as though we were only judged on my weight and not all the other good things about us," said Mr Hall, 37, who works in a call centre.
“We don’t drink or smoke and we could give a child a happy and safe home.”
“You’ve got a child in care who’s going to get up tomorrow morning not knowing where it’s going, and we’re here ready to take a child on. They seem to be saying it’s better for them to be in care and being shoved from pillar to post just in case Damien dies.”
The council said that it would only relent if Mr Hall demonstrated that he had taken off and could keep off the weight.
Fascists!
Fat is now the new Smoking. Heaven help the chubby people, because more and more bureaucracies won't be helping them at all.
11 comments:
A few years ago, our parish was looking for foster parents that would eventually lead to adoption. After much prayer and thought Nick and I filled out the endless paperwork. We both had phone interviews and had our credit and criminal background checks. All was good.
We were rejected because Nick and I smoke.
Fascists!
Janice,
You and Nick had better hope Obama doesn't get his universal healthcare, or you may find yourselves, as smokers, at the bottom of the list for health services.
I don't know whether you'll be before or after the fat folks, though.
Fascists!
Skyepuppy,
You won't have to worry about large waistlines after Obama is president. We will be too poor to eat, smoke, drink, or have a way to a doctor or hospital.
After seeing his speeches the past two days, I am convinced the man has NO IDEA what he is doing. His advisors aren't helping much.
SIGH. He's not a facist.
He's just.....well, ignorant of what is vs. what we wished life was.
Tsofah,
I wasn't calling Obama a fascist, just the petty bureaucrats who like to use their power to make other people's lives miserable because they can.
Well, I don't drink, smoke, and I'm not fat. I rather think the government should put more priority on my life than than fatties and other such object of society's scorn and embarrassment. That's not fascist.
Janice - they probably saw the collection of Republican bumper stickers on your car.
Hi Jacob, it's nice to see you around the blogs!
Now Jacob, you're part of a group that receives "society's scorn and embarrassment", the gay community.
Fatties, smokers, drinkers and homosexuals are all the target of discrimination when it come to government healthcare.
oh my goodness! i'm shaking my head....
Bekah,
Don't go making too many cookies. Or if you do, give them away to people you don't believe should be allowed to adopt children...
Huh? Society loves us! Sorry, respectable society loves us gays.
That may be true Jacob, but government healthcare systems believe your lifestyle is risky, aka; costly.
"Sorry, Jacob, we'd love to insure you, but unfortunately you have the habit of taking it in the ass. I can prescribe a patch to lower your dosage and eventually quit, but right now you're too much of a risk. Teh AIDS is rampant these days, and, I'm sorry, even thinking about other dudes is enough to sufficiently weaken your immune system."
Post a Comment