Do you think that obesity....?

should be classified as a legitimate medical condition for insurance purposes, and those that are obese be able to seek treatment, either on their dime or the taxpayers, for their "disease"? Do you think that if the proposed national health care plan was passed into law that it would cover obesity?

just think this will be a court case when we get universal health care. red meat is bad for you should it be legally eaten? just think of all the new laws that will come into effect from the universal health care we are going to get. new rulings for things like sugar, salt, caffeine and the list goes on. the few screamers will rule the lives of the silent millions...
that is why i don't want universal health care. looks good in a society that cannot sue for anything and everything but here in america it is lawyer infested. they are just ready to sue...

I don't know if it is a disease. But I do know that not all obesity is caused by laziness or over eating as some of your answers are implying. I know a woman who works six days a week, on her feet for nine hours a day. She doesn't eat overly much, but she still weighs two hundred and fifty pounds. I also know that some is caused by laziness and over eating. but you can't group all obese people into one category. There are different reasons why different people are obese. And I think that you should take it on a person by person basis. I think that if it is harmful to their health and they have tried seriously to do something about it, and can't, then it is a health problem and should be taken care of as such. But that is just my opinion because I know from my friend how tough it is on her.

edit. and to those who are saying that it is brought on by them selves, not every bodies is. Some have an enlarged thyroid or their medication sometimes can cause it. There are a lot of reasons that a person can be obese. Besides the regular reasons of over eating and laziness.

Yes, although obesity is a condition that is kind of brought on by themselves it would be like a person spending to much time in the sun and developing skin cancer.
Obesity -Can cause people heart disease which makes them a high risk (Substandard -adverse selection) for insurance companies.
Cardiovascular problems- Obesity can lead to High blood pressure which result in kidney failure, stroke and heart conditions. Since the weight is constantly putting pressure on the bones, problems like arthritus and bad knees will need treatment. Glucosomine and chondriton will need to be administered daily to patients as a joint supplement to avoid knee or hip replacement.

So the jist of it: If you were an insurance company, would you want to pay months and months of financial assistance in expensive pharmaceuticals or simply pay to have a surgery for gastric bypass if the insured is not really excited about losing wieght? Or maybe giving them a gym pass? It is a serious medical condition. Why not change the adverse selection the insurer has to a perferred risk allowing them to ultimately save money when the insured doesnt die and the insurer doesnt have to pay out the benifits to the benificiaries?

Wow I am shocked at the negative comments and hope those who posted it should be paid by the person who suffers this condition never has a child, spouse or family member who is.
It is not always from over eating as there are many factors such as heredity, depression, types of medications that will make you gain weight, hypo thyroid, and so on.
Gee should we also make you foot the bill for other conditions or illness that are caused by the patient such as people who get liver damage from alcohol or hey maybe we should make people pay for drug treatments and any brain damage from the use of drugs which many people who have children may have to deal with that when their child goes to HS and cant say NO to peer pressure. Also would we expect those who cheat and come down with a STD pay for treatment too? Your opening up a big ol can of worms with such a question and I think it is mean and very shallow. Do you honestly think they like being obese? My Aunt had a under active thyroid and ate little......took years to find that out and had a few aunties and uncles who poked fun at her and were mean as some of you.

To answer your question.....of course they should be covered.

I think they should be able to treat themselves on their "dime" but not mine. I am not a doctor so I don't know if it is a disease. Drug abuse is self inflicted but it does become a disease after a while. I am an addict and I started when I didn't know much about the drug at all. I KNOW it's a disease because I would love to stop, however I don't think you all should have to pay for my mistake of doing it.

i dont believe obesity from overeating is a disease just like drinking/smoking and the like...i think medical issues causing obesity are different but in any case insurance should take the good with the bad...im sure there gonna go broke real fast....yea right
i do not nor wil i ever think tax payers should have to foot the bill for medical...to me thats socialism and i would never thing thats the way to go...maybe us smokers should move to canaduh if we want to rape the tax payers

obesity is a "desease" - Not all people that are obese OVER EAT like most people think. It's a physical disorder. my wife is obese, she eats alot less than i do and we eat a very healthy diet. And I'm only 210lbs. And that's average for my age.

Yes, there are obese people that do over eat. But not all of them.

i think it should be classified as a disease...and that their insurance rates should go up so THEY can pay for their own self indulgence. Who knows..maybe the higher rates will help them refrain from stuffing their faces with garbage and inspire them to get off their booties from time to time

EDIT: to answer james f's Q....actually..some morbidly obese people do use scooters

I think it should be a case by case basis.
although I think once you notice that you have put on heaps of weight you could do something about it.
dunno, its just being lazy.
but then there are the emotional etc parts of it.

They cover drug addiction why not obesity.
I think people themselves should also have to deal with the causes of personal choices responsiblity and easy access to inexpensive junk food.

I think people who are obese should pay more taxes and should pay higher premiums for their health insurance.

They are a drag on our economy and our health care system.

I think that obesity should be covered as a disease, but with the provision that those on medicare only keep coverage if they are actively seeking ways to improve their condition.

Its a tough one, would you consider smoking a disability? because although both are detramental to your health they are in effect self inflicted illness.

It depends on the person. The majority of obesity cases int he United States are do "operator error" we live in a society that is focused on fatty foods, and people are paying the price!

the way things are going in this world obesity may be cured when there is a food shortage here like in some of the 3rd world countries.

Obesity is a condition. I don't know that it should be classified a disease.

lol...eating is a choice..not a disease...alcoholism..a choice

does that mean we have to buy them the fat people scooters too

no absolutely no its a life choice that people choose to make and there are ways many many ways to help stop eating