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How fat is your state?

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by I love puppies!, Aug 28, 2007.

Page 2 of 5
  1. SixToe

    SixToe Well-Known Member

    Winner, winner chicken dinner.

    Please pass the mac-n-cheese, rice with gravy, biscuits, jelly, butter, sweet tea, sugar (because the tea isn't sweet enough) and some of cornbread.
     
    SixToe, Aug 28, 2007
    #13
  2. Mystery_Meat

    Mystery_Meat Guest

    You'd expect Massachusetts, with all its lobstah rolls, to not be next-to-last. But I'm guessing there's a higher incidence of vegans up there to counterbalance that. Damned Seven Sisters liberals ...
     
    Mystery_Meat, Aug 28, 2007
    #14
  3. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    All the jokes aside, buried in one of the graphs:

    "Obesity costs $117 billion a year in preventable healthcare expenditures and "is pushing the healthcare system to the breaking point," Marks said."

    Might this have ANYTHING to do with the fact that health care costs have skyrocketed over the last few decades, and even though everyone wants the unrealistic--universal, unlimited health care that gives everything to everyone--we could get way closer to that goal if people took some personal responsibility instead of wanting a magical government solution that creates billions of dollars out of thin air to pay for it?
     
    The Big Ragu, Aug 28, 2007
    #15
  4. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    If all the preventable healthcare expenditures were, indeed, prevented, wouldn't the healthcare system also go broke and not be there for our unpreventable expenditures?
     
    playthrough, Aug 28, 2007
    #16
  5. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Eh. Give me everything and I'll be fat and happy.
     
    Ace, Aug 28, 2007
    #17
  6. KG

    KG Active Member

    No shit. Without insurance it's $100 to spend five minutes with a doctor who then prescribes you $200 worth of meds.
     
    KG, Aug 28, 2007
    #18
  7. StaggerLee

    StaggerLee Well-Known Member

    Louisiana is number 4 or something, but I think that whole obesity epidemic is stupid. Sure, there are a ton of overweight people in this country, but using that stupid-ass BMI (body mass index) to determine overweightness/obesity is flat out ridiculous. Need proof? I give you a few examples via the New Orleans Saints football roster and their respective BMI:

    key - BMI of 18.5 or lower is underweight
    BMI of 18.5-24.9 is normal weight
    BMI of 25.0-29.9 is overweight
    BMI of 30 or higher is obese

    Kicker Olindo Mare (5-11, 190) -- BMI of 26.5 (overweight)
    QB Drew Brees (6-0, 209) -- BMI of 28.3 (overweight, bordering obese)
    WR Marques Colston (6-4, 231) -- BMI of 28.1 (overweight)
    RB Reggie Bush (6-0, 203) -- BMI of 27.5 (overweight)
    RB Deuce McAllister (6-1, 232) -- BMI of 30.2 (OBESE)
    FB Mike Karney (5-11, 258) -- BMI of 36 (OBESE)
    LB Mark Simoneau (6-0, 245) -- BMI of 33.2 (OBESE)
    LB Dhani Jones (6-1, 240) -- BMI of 31.7 (OBESE)

    Now, notice I didn't even include any linemen, because if Reggie Bush is overweight and Deuce is obese, then what the hell do you think Charles Grant or Hollis Thomas is?

    There may be a problem in this country with people not being healthy, but using BMI to determine what percentage of the population is overweight/obese skews things.
     
    StaggerLee, Aug 28, 2007
    #19
  8. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    Skinniest!
     
    MileHigh, Aug 28, 2007
    #20
  9. Mmac

    Mmac Guest

    Of course it has something to do with it, but it is not the primary explanation. You see, Ragu, its not just amount of healthcare demanded that has increased, its the real dollars price of the SAME healthcare that has spiraled way beyond the rate of inflation. The exact same treatment, care, and medications will cost immensely more here than anywhere else in the world, and immensely more in adjusted dollars here than they did years ago.

    That's not because there's more obese people getting sick and demanding healthcare, its because of a health care system that seems to have been set up with its highest priority not being the people's access to health care but instead maximizing the profit margins of pharmaceutical companies, medical providers, HMOs, and lawyers.
     
    Mmac, Aug 28, 2007
    #21
  10. Flying Headbutt

    Flying Headbutt Moderator Staff Member

    Well it does seem that the ones who want universal care, in general, are in states that are in the best shape. That could mean that they're paying the most and getting the least in return, since their costs go up even though they don't often use the system.

    The most of malpractice insurance is also playing a role in the costs going up, but that's something the trial lawyers never want to see addressed because any fix to the system will likely involve capping that magical pain and suffering price.

    And of course, illegal immigration plays a role too.
     
    Flying Headbutt, Aug 28, 2007
    #22
  11. RedSmithClone

    RedSmithClone Active Member

    So am I just totally out of it, or did Puerto Rico, Mexico or Canada all of a sudden become a state in the Union?

    How is Colorado 51?
     
    RedSmithClone, Aug 28, 2007
    #23
  12. sportschick

    sportschick Active Member

    I'm guessing D.C. was counted by itself. I haven't seen the complete list to know though.
     
    sportschick, Aug 28, 2007
    #24
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