Okay... so the topic came up over coffee with my little brother this morning. It's been picking at me for a while, and why I haven't thought to bring it up here before is beyond me. But, here goes.
The government and health care agencies claim that we are currently suffering an obesity epidemic which is threatening the stability of our health care through an excessive burden of heart, kidney, and various other problems.
So where's the treatment center? We have government run drug and alcohol treatment centers with counselors. We have government funded physio centers for rehabilitating injuries. We have government funded access to counselors to help you quit smoking.
Yet for obesity, the government is not willing to pay to intervene until a person is in absolute crisis, morbidly obese, and requiring pricey surgeries like lapbands or gastric bypass. Where on earth is the government gym and trainers to get people up and motivated and moving, to intervene BEFORE the costly surgeries are necessary?
My brother pointed out 'you can't hold people's hands, and only a few would do it and not relapse', but the same can be said of smoking and alcohol abuse programs.
So, is the government really doing enough to combat what they say is a crucial problem?
The government and health care agencies claim that we are currently suffering an obesity epidemic which is threatening the stability of our health care through an excessive burden of heart, kidney, and various other problems.
So where's the treatment center? We have government run drug and alcohol treatment centers with counselors. We have government funded physio centers for rehabilitating injuries. We have government funded access to counselors to help you quit smoking.
Yet for obesity, the government is not willing to pay to intervene until a person is in absolute crisis, morbidly obese, and requiring pricey surgeries like lapbands or gastric bypass. Where on earth is the government gym and trainers to get people up and motivated and moving, to intervene BEFORE the costly surgeries are necessary?
My brother pointed out 'you can't hold people's hands, and only a few would do it and not relapse', but the same can be said of smoking and alcohol abuse programs.
So, is the government really doing enough to combat what they say is a crucial problem?