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Let Fat People Die.
Let fat people die to save the NHS money says BBC's Michael Buerk
The former I'm A Celebrity star queried Public Health England's claim that overweight and obesity-related ill-health costs the NHS £6.1 billion a year
Buerk, who hosts Radio 4’s The Moral Maze, said obesity should not be classed as a disease, which encourages people to seek treatment on the Health Service.
He added: “You’re fat because you eat too much.”
Writing in the Radio Times, the host suggested allowing deaths due to obesity could be a benefit to society.
“The obese will die a decade earlier than the rest of us,” he wrote.
“See it as a selfless sacrifice in the fight against demographic imbalance, overpopulation and climate change.”
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/fat-people-die-save-nhs-18838923
The former I'm A Celebrity star queried Public Health England's claim that overweight and obesity-related ill-health costs the NHS £6.1 billion a year
Buerk, who hosts Radio 4’s The Moral Maze, said obesity should not be classed as a disease, which encourages people to seek treatment on the Health Service.
He added: “You’re fat because you eat too much.”
Writing in the Radio Times, the host suggested allowing deaths due to obesity could be a benefit to society.
“The obese will die a decade earlier than the rest of us,” he wrote.
“See it as a selfless sacrifice in the fight against demographic imbalance, overpopulation and climate change.”
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/fat-people-die-save-nhs-18838923
Comments
I'm overweight(14.9) not obese but if I were to eat and drink like I do, sit around playing poker all the time and not work in a physical environment, it's guaranteed I would reach 18st= clinically obese
As phrased, it sounds dreadful, but in the case of those who are obese because they eat too much (as opposed to being obese due to medical problems which can happen) is overeating not the same as smoking, in that it's self-inflicted?
There a stigma now to smoking, we all know it can cause cancer, & it costs the NHS a fortune. In a way, eating too much & becoming ill because of it, & costing the NHS a fortune, will soon be seen in a similar light, surely?
And if that sounds harsh to those who smoke or are overweight, I have been guilty of both for most of my life, so I'm not pointing fingers.
It is within most people's grasp to solve this issue...
I could argue that, as a 40 per day smoker, and more if I was drinking, I have probably contributed enough in taxes on the cigarettes to cover any NHS costs for 3 life times.
However they are no good for you, and probably will kill you in the end.
I am old enough to remember when successive Governments denied cigarettes caused any health problems.
Don't most people think of the NHS, as an insurance policy where you pay your National Insurance contributions in return for treatment as and when required?
I am touching wood while saying that I have had one hospital stay in my life for an appendix operation when I was 11.
I have sympathy for those of my friends and family that have required more treatment, rather than begrudge it.
I have sympathy for those that are overweight, particularly when this is caused by other health problems.
However, for the overwhelming majority of people, this comes down to maths.
If you burn more calories than you take in you will lose weight, burn less and you put it on.
I spent the last 20 years of my working life, working 10 hours per day, 6 days per week.
My working day entailed sitting behind the wheel of a car or behind a desk, plenty of take aways, and no exercise.
I spent a bit of time moderating my diet with little effect, and subsequently lost 4 stone, after spending an hour per day on a treadmill.
I lost the weight despite continuing to eat the odd donut, and a few pasties. The exercise was key.
I have retired now, guilty of sitting about playing poker, and have put half the weight back on.
I intend to motivate myself to get back on the treadmill, in a minute, and get a bit fitter.
I think many people try to lose weight by foregoing food that they really like, which makes dieting a punishment, whereas focusing on exercise is much more rewarding.
I suppose that if you were a super fit, teetotal, non smoking, vegan, with no allergies, never had an accident, and immune from disease, you would be entitled to point fingers.
He went down in my estimation..fool
I blame governments and the food industry by putting too many cheap processed foods and high carb food on the shelves tho it's up to the individual what they eat
The NHS could save billions if it didn't treat those whose conditions are self inflicted it's true. So don't present for treatment if you are a smoker, a drinker, obese, have a sports injury, have a road traffic accident, if you are a drug addict, if you have self harmed, if you've been injured in a silly prank etc.
The REAL TRUTH is if the Health Service had £billions more to spend it would simply waste it on more "Administrators" with their bloated salaries, their made up job descriptions and their requisite new BWW, Audi or Merc every 6/12 months.
Can anybody else remember when hospitals did their own laundry, cooked their own meals and wards were run efficiently and effectively by Matrons who ruled with a rod of iron. No MRSI, no patients in corridors and maybe more pointedly no administrators.
Mark
Pointless article though as he has done no research, just his ill thought out opinion. The Mirror might as well print the “Man in the Pub” column from Viz