- I don't care at all how much you weigh
- You're right, I don't know why you may be "heavy," and I'm not judging your weight at all
What I am questioning, though, is the cost that's associated with treating overweight/obesity. I know I'm going to catch flak for this, but...I do care how fat you are. This is based purely on economics. You see, according to the CDC, in 1998, Americans spent approximately 78.5 billion dollars on expenses related to overweight/obesity. And, according to new research out this week from The Department of Health at John Hopkins, in 30 years, that dollar amount could reach 950 billion dollars! The really crazy thing? Half of this cost is being paid for by medicare and medicaid. That means, I have a direct interest in the state of this country's overweight/obesity epidemic because my tax dollars are paying for it!
I will be the first person to say that everyone's different, that there are LOTS of reasons that may contribute to a person's health and well-being. I know that there are sometimes things that are out of control of the individual that contribute to a myriad of health problems. I'm not trying to diss those of you who suffer from these issues. I'm just stating facts: the fatter our nation becomes, the higher the economic toll will be.
On top of that, I'll also be the first person to say that an individual's body weight doesn't mean a whole heck of a lot. You can have a very thin person who is over-fat, or you can have a very heavy person who is solid muscle. But, if an individual is carrying an excessive amount of fat, they're more likely to have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems, some cancers, bone and joint problems, etc. To be frank, I don't care how much you weigh, but I do care about whether an excessive amount of fat you may be carrying is affecting our nation's bottom line.
So...as this nation continues to fight the fat battle, I am going to come out and say it: regardless of why you are suffering from obesity, if your health is suffering because of it, it is costing our nation money. That is why I care. That is why I say that people should eat healthier and be more active. I am not judging each you, please understand me, I'm NOT, but I am concerned about your health & our how our nation may be economically affected by the continued increase in overweight/obesity.
