Florida doctor fired for anti-donuts sign

I guess this doctor has finished his studying on the subject:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/magazine/16FOB-wwln-t.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Which is why it is so striking to talk to Delos M. Cosgrove, the heart surgeon who is the clinic’s chief executive, about the initiative. Cosgrove says that if it were up to him, if there weren’t legal issues, he would not only stop hiring smokers. He would also stop hiring obese people. When he mentioned this to me during a recent phone conversation, I told him that I thought many people might consider it unfair. He was unapologetic.

“Why is it unfair?” he asked. “Has anyone ever shown the law of conservation of matter doesn’t apply?” People’s weight is a reflection of how much they eat and how active they are. The country has grown fat because it’s consuming more calories and burning fewer. Our national weight problem brings huge costs, both medical and economic. Yet our anti-obesity efforts have none of the urgency of our antismoking efforts. “We should declare obesity a disease and say we’re going to help you get over it,” Cosgrove said.

 

Another problem is that healthy food is almost invariably more expensive than unhealthy food.

There's a reason places like McDonald's boom during a recession.

 

Yeah, the price of an apple is insane. Best to go with the value menu McNuggets.

 

That's still not true. You can eat much, much healthier than McDonald's for a fraction of the cost.

 

Yeah. Sprouts anyone?

 

Obesity is a huge epidemic and major health problem in North America. For some peolpe genetics play a role but regardless of th background, too many calories taken in v. too few burned equals weight gain. Instead of focusing on how some people are genetically disdadvantaged about their weight, perhaps the issue of obesity should be framed similar to high blood rpessure or diabetes. These diseases have genetic components but the goal is not necessarily curative but rather to maintain tight control thus minimizing potential complications.This requires personal responsibility and we accept this as normative behavior for many diseases. There is no reason not to expect the same from those who fight obesity battle.

 

I see skinny people eating at McDonalds every time I'm there.

What's their problem? Damn, they should be overweight.