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Smokers And Obese Cost Less?

Mike

Well-known member
I could have sworn that the lawyers against the tobacco industry said that smokers cost the taxpayers more...............................



Study: Smokers, Obese Cost Less To Treat
Dutch Study Counters Common Perception

POSTED: 5:51 am PST February 5, 2008


LONDON -- Preventing obesity and smoking can save lives, but it doesn't save money, researchers reported Monday.

It costs more to care for healthy people who live years longer, according to a Dutch study that counters the common perception that preventing obesity would save governments millions of dollars.

"It was a small surprise," said Pieter van Baal, an economist at the Netherlands' National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, who led the study. "But it also makes sense. If you live longer, then you cost the health system more."

In a paper published online Monday in the Public Library of Science Medicine journal, Dutch researchers found that the health costs of thin and healthy people in adulthood are more expensive than those of either fat people or smokers.

Van Baal and colleagues created a model to simulate lifetime health costs for three groups of 1,000 people: the "healthy-living" group (thin and non-smoking), obese people, and smokers. The model relied on "cost of illness" data and disease prevalence in the Netherlands in 2003.

The researchers found that from age 20 to 56, obese people racked up the most expensive health costs. But because both the smokers and the obese people died sooner than the healthy group, it cost less to treat them in the long run.

On average, healthy people lived 84 years. Smokers lived about 77 years, and obese people lived about 80 years. Smokers and obese people tended to have more heart disease than the healthy people.

Cancer incidence, except for lung cancer, was the same in all three groups. Obese people had the most diabetes, and healthy people had the most strokes. Ultimately, the thin and healthy group cost the most, about $417,000, from age 20 on.

The cost of care for obese people was $371,000, and for smokers, about $326,000.

The results counter the common perception that preventing obesity will save health systems worldwide millions of dollars.

"This throws a bucket of cold water onto the idea that obesity is going to cost trillions of dollars," said Patrick Basham, a professor of health politics at Johns Hopkins University who was unconnected to the study. He said that government projections about obesity costs are frequently based on guesswork, political agendas, and changing science.

"If we're going to worry about the future of obesity, we should stop worrying about its financial impact," he said.

Obesity experts said that fighting the epidemic is about more than just saving money.

"The benefits of obesity prevention may not be seen immediately in terms of cost savings in tomorrow's budget, but there are long-term gains," said Neville Rigby, spokesman for the International Association for the Study of Obesity. "These are often immeasurable when it comes to people living longer and healthier lives."

Van Baal described the paper as "a book-keeping exercise," and said that governments should recognize that successful smoking and obesity prevention programs mean that people will have a higher chance of dying of something more expensive later in life.

"Lung cancer is a cheap disease to treat because people don't survive very long," van Baal said. "But if they are old enough to get Alzheimer's one day, they may survive longer and cost more."

The study, paid for by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports, did not take into account other potential costs of obesity and smoking, such as lost economic productivity or social costs.

"We are not recommending that governments stop trying to prevent obesity," van Baal said. "But they should do it for the right reasons."
 

aplusmnt

Well-known member
Saves money on Social Security benefits also. They should leave us fat people alone. I think it is discrimination trying to make us healthier. :lol:
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
The ' average' size of the human is changing.

Example: I went into a Timberland store last wk to get a new pair of hiking boots. I wanted to get them ' broke in' before this summer.


I wear a size 7...but wanted an 8 to allow for a thick sock. None were to be found. I asked a clerk for help in looking. He told me that they only got in one or two pairs in that "small" of a size. :???: :???: :???: The average woman size shoe now is 10!!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock:


And don't get me started about trying to find clothes.............IMPOSSIBLE to find 'off the rack' clothes that ARE NOT XXL.


It can't be just the food we eat....I know...I bet it's that nasty EVOLUTION crap happening again.

So I'll soon be extinct as I seem not be ' evolving' ( size wise anyway) with the rest of America!!!!!
 

aplusmnt

Well-known member
kolanuraven said:
The ' average' size of the human is changing.

Example: I went into a Timberland store last wk to get a new pair of hiking boots. I wanted to get them ' broke in' before this summer.


I wear a size 7...but wanted an 8 to allow for a thick sock. None were to be found. I asked a clerk for help in looking. He told me that they only got in one or two pairs in that "small" of a size. :???: :???: :???: The average woman size shoe now is 10!!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock:


And don't get me started about trying to find clothes.............IMPOSSIBLE to find 'off the rack' clothes that ARE NOT XXL.


It can't be just the food we eat....I know...I bet it's that nasty EVOLUTION crap happening again.

So I'll soon be extinct as I seem not be ' evolving' ( size wise anyway) with the rest of America!!!!!

It Hybrid Vigor at work. :lol:

My daughter has worn size 10 shoes since she was 11. But then again if you are 6' tall man in my family you are a runt or shorter than 5'8" for the women. My son was 6'2" when he was 14 and wears a size 13 shoe.

People are getting bigger, heck when the tallest best center in the NBA is Chinese you know something is up. "Yao Ming" :eek:
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
I just had an idea; With every welfare check, include a coupon for a free carton of no-filter Camels. That should save us money in the long run by killing off the leeches.
 

aplusmnt

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
I just had an idea; With every welfare check, include a coupon for a free carton of no-filter Camels. That should save us money in the long run by killing off the leeches.

Double whammy, buy a pack of cigarettes you get a snicker bar for free.

Put a luxury tax on all excercise equipment to keep people from exercising.
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
Furniture makes are having to make furniture more heavy duty because people are so much heavier.

That's why your recliner cost so much more now!!!!!

Elevators are having to be re calculated as to how many people they can hold before that annoying buzzer goes off.

Ambulance gurneys, etc are having to be made different and thus more costly to purchase...and that price increase is passed on to you via your county taxes, etc.


The list is endless if you think about it.

I can't see how being obese is cheaper for anyone.
 

backhoeboogie

Well-known member
kolanuraven said:
.............IMPOSSIBLE to find 'off the rack' clothes that ARE NOT XXL.

You are right about that. I now have to get "fitted" for all my shirts. If I don't, there is a couple of extra feet of bag at the waist. Riata pants work just fine and so do wrangler jeans, but fitted shirts are even baggy at the waist. Heck, if I get a plain old T shirt that fits my shoulders it feels like I am wearing a tent.
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
backhoeboogie said:
kolanuraven said:
.............IMPOSSIBLE to find 'off the rack' clothes that ARE NOT XXL.

You are right about that. I now have to get "fitted" for all my shirts. If I don't, there is a couple of extra feet of bag at the waist. Riata pants work just fine and so do wrangler jeans, but fitted shirts are even baggy at the waist. Heck, if I get a plain old T shirt that fits my shoulders it feels like I am wearing a tent.


My point exactly. Everything now is cut in a square, mens and womens shirts both.

People don't have curves or angles anymore....they have "bulges" and "pooches"!!!
 

aplusmnt

Well-known member
backhoeboogie said:
kolanuraven said:
.............IMPOSSIBLE to find 'off the rack' clothes that ARE NOT XXL.

You are right about that. I now have to get "fitted" for all my shirts. If I don't, there is a couple of extra feet of bag at the waist. Riata pants work just fine and so do wrangler jeans, but fitted shirts are even baggy at the waist. Heck, if I get a plain old T shirt that fits my shoulders it feels like I am wearing a tent.

I think some of that is also in the quality control of today. Use to you could get quality products and they fit better. But now with so much out sourcing the same Medium or large scale of past is not the same of those made in China.

Bought my son a Youth Large T-Shirt at a basketball tournament this past weekend. It is baggy on him but to short. They just don't have the proper formulas for fitting down like it use to be.
 

backhoeboogie

Well-known member
kolanuraven said:
backhoeboogie said:
kolanuraven said:
.............IMPOSSIBLE to find 'off the rack' clothes that ARE NOT XXL.

You are right about that. I now have to get "fitted" for all my shirts. If I don't, there is a couple of extra feet of bag at the waist. Riata pants work just fine and so do wrangler jeans, but fitted shirts are even baggy at the waist. Heck, if I get a plain old T shirt that fits my shoulders it feels like I am wearing a tent.


My point exactly. Everything now is cut in a square, mens and womens shirts both.

People don't have curves or angles anymore....they have "bulges" and "pooches"!!!

Van Heusen outlet stores seem to have a large selection of fitted clothes for both the wife and I. She bought some clothes from the store up in Grapevine and then shopped for more closer to home. We went back to Grapevine and bought many more items for her.

Foley's used to carry shirts that were called "Paul Bunyon" that fit me in the waist. They don't carry them anymore.

Try Van Huesen. I am about 5 lbs overweight per the charts and everyone calls me "skinny". I haven't fought in a ring since '93 (just got too old) but I still work out and kick the bag pretty regular. Plus the other chores. I eat like a horse but keep a low BCS. If I was a cow I would get culled for high input.
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
aplusmnt said:
Sandhusker said:
I just had an idea; With every welfare check, include a coupon for a free carton of no-filter Camels. That should save us money in the long run by killing off the leeches.

Double whammy, buy a pack of cigarettes you get a snicker bar for free.

Put a luxury tax on all excercise equipment to keep people from exercising.

Added bonus: Most of the people you'd be thinning out would be Democrats.
 

NMRANCHER

Well-known member
kolanuraven said:
The ' average' size of the human is changing.

Example: I went into a Timberland store last wk to get a new pair of hiking boots. I wanted to get them ' broke in' before this summer.


I wear a size 7...but wanted an 8 to allow for a thick sock. None were to be found. I asked a clerk for help in looking. He told me that they only got in one or two pairs in that "small" of a size. :???: :???: :???: The average woman size shoe now is 10!!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock:


And don't get me started about trying to find clothes.............IMPOSSIBLE to find 'off the rack' clothes that ARE NOT XXL.


It can't be just the food we eat....I know...I bet it's that nasty EVOLUTION crap happening again.

So I'll soon be extinct as I seem not be ' evolving' ( size wise anyway) with the rest of America!!!!!

Hey Kola, I'll switch with you, Down here at the Roswell Farm and Ranch supply store all you can find is 'L' and smaller. Anything 'XL' and up is gone before it hits the shelf or the hanger. I am one of those XXL's guys and when you have to order from a surplus catalog just to find something you can move around in after you get it zipped up. :lol: :lol: :lol:

I don't hate skinny people but with this wind, I am getting tired of tying them down. :lol: :D :lol:
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
NMRANCHER said:
but with this wind, I am getting tired of tying them down. :lol: :D :lol:




I guess there are still claw marks on the sides of the bldgs at our old place in ScottsBluff NE from me hanging on to them in that wind!!!!


Once I came around the corner of the sale barn...a big blast of wind literally picked me up off my feet and tossed me backwards.

Luckily for me our 6'4" ranch manager was right behind me and caught me!!!
 

Hooks

Well-known member
a big blast of wind literally picked me up off my feet and tossed me backwards.

.......solution= buy them bigger hiking boots & load the toes with lead..................... :wink: :lol: :lol:
 

aplusmnt

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
Fat doesn't follow partylines, but welfare recipients do.

It is ironic that the supposed poor and starving have such a problem with Obesity.

I saw a homeless guy holding up a sign will work for food, the guy probably weighed close to 300 lbs. I was going to offer him some food to eat, but then decided I did not want to be an enabler.

I should have offered him some work for a membership at the local Gym :lol:

I am afraid the next big problem to face our nation is obesity amongst the homeless. I just hope Washington will do something about this before it is stoppable.
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
Hooks said:
a big blast of wind literally picked me up off my feet and tossed me backwards.

.......solution= buy them bigger hiking boots & load the toes with lead..................... :wink: :lol: :lol:



I did one better.....tend to stay out of NE now!! :lol: :lol:
 
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