Being Paid to Lose Weight

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I understand the thinking in that spending a bit of cash up front saves money further down the line when they don't have to treat obesity linked diseases but where does it stop? Are they going to start paying people to stop smoking or drinking? And what's to stop me from intentionally piling on the pounds and then getting paid to lose it again? Why not use the money to subsidise the cost of fruit and veg in supermarkets instead and then put higher taxes on higher calorie food. Make healthy food cheaper and unhealthy food more expensive.
 
Completely against it. I'd rather pay more tax than pay people to lose weight.

If they won't do it for themselves and their loved ones then is cash really the answer?
 
I can see the logic behind it but I have to agree it probably won't work and will only create a public backlash on those receiving the incentives and make them feel even more self conscious about their weight especially if they try and fail to lose it. I worked in an office through uni and their were three in particular that were morbidly obese. These passive boring jobs and lifestyles are a bit of a problem with the opportunity to eat junk from the vending machines and no need to move anywhere for hours at a time. It is fairly well known in offices and call centers that many people will put on a stone within the first month of employment. While I would fall short of incentivising weightloss the companies should do something to help their staff maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I have been working in schools this year and I really have not seen the 1 in 5 obesity that the article suggests. I can only really think of one child that was actually obese. I have noticed the healthy options at lunch do go largely untouched so if they are learning to eat unhealthily then this will cause problems in the future. Hopefully the next wave of high school children will be far more used to eating the healthy options that primary schools now have as a matter of course with no other choices. My wife is a primary teacher and she has mentioned that they often have to take pack lunches off children because they are full of chocolate, pot noodles, pasties and rustlers burgers. Schools and govt can only do so much and parents need to understand what they are doing to their children.
 
Cash to lose weight?..Absolutely against it.Bribery is not the right way to encourage weight loss.Has to come from within yourself..What next, smokers, druggies, alcoholics, shopaholics, burglars, etc.Surely they will all have a case...Meanwhile the elderly are blamed endlessly for 'living longer' (ha ha), burdening the health service, and shoved into a home in their twighlight years...The people who make these decisions need to take a good look at themselves, say a few home truths, and tell these fatties (obesity is a daft word), that they should stop pigging out on crap food..No excuse for majority of cases..All self inflicted...Anyway , just on my full English, half a loaf to mop up too..:)
 
Some of the figures & claims in that article are laughable.
You really shouldn't believe everything you read.

Supporters say it Could slash sick days by upto 50%.
Seriously??

personally I think it's a stupid idea.
 
Narrow minded at best and misguided. Pretty sure we'll get people already clincally obese (and some that may not be) binge eating to gain weight to make a quick buck. We are going the way of the US and youonly have to go past drives ins at any fast food joint to see how much this has become a staple diet for many.

No idea what the long term answer is other than reducing fat, sugar and salt in foods and making healthy food available at a price for all and a long term and sustained advertising and educational campaign. Sadly many kids are lost early because parents feed them junk, so they put weight on early, no exercise and then think its the norm when they have kids and so the circle continues
 
Good to see a link between social services and the NHS proposed in the latest review.

In the early 1990's the council I worked for did some groundbreaking stuff in collaboration with the local health board, they had great results working with obesity, smoking and alcohol related patients.
An example would be free golf range vouchers for someone who had stopped smoking or free cinema tickets for losing a few pounds of weight.
It worked amazingly well but unfortunately like many good ideas it run out of funding.
 
I'd rather they were told by the doc....

'yes you have applicable illness brought on by being a fat, greedy bar steward, unfortunately we can't treat it until you lose x amount of weight, here's a leaflet explaining the concept of a diet, it's quite simple really....no sir/madam, chips are not a vegetable....., now trot on chubby and try not to eat as many pies in future.










Tongue planted firmly in cheek btw. :D
 
People who do not look after themselves should be refused treatment on the nhs why should tax payers work to keep people who don't put the effort in themselves.
 
freddielong said:
People who do not look after themselves should be refused treatment on the nhs why should tax payers work to keep people who don't put the effort in themselves.
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I can see why folks would think that way, but the NHS provides care that is all encompassing and that's how it should be imo. Even though it's bloody infuriating at times.
 
I think fatties who can't work because of their lifestyle should be prisoner and made to lose weight and not let out til they are at a suitable weight.

Those fatties who pay full tax contributions should get a free voucher for a greggs break fast barm every morning.
 
Stuart_C said:
I think fatties who can't work because of their lifestyle should be prisoner and made to lose weight and not let out til they are at a suitable weight.

Those fatties who pay full tax contributions should get a free voucher for a greggs break fast barm every morning.
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+1, surely unlimited breakfast barms though.:)
 
freddielong said:
People who do not look after themselves should be refused treatment on the nhs why should tax payers work to keep people who don't put the effort in themselves.
Click to expand...

Would that include people who drink too much? smoke 40 a day, play sports every week and get injured all the time?

Where do we stop?

Is this the same government who approve ever more planning for fast food outlets then have hair brained schemes like this to deal with the consequences?

When I was a kid McDonalds was only in Bath and it was the only fast food outlet for miles around (other than the local fish and chip shop)

It was a treat, now it's dinner for most kids
 
Coatsy79 said:
Would that include people who drink too much? smoke 40 a day, play sports every week and get injured all the time?

Where do we stop?

Is this the same government who approve ever more planning for fast food outlets then have hair brained schemes like this to deal with the consequences?

When I was a kid McDonalds was only in Bath and it was the only fast food outlet for miles around (other than the local fish and chip shop)

It was a treat, now it's dinner for most kids
Click to expand...


Do they let Wiltshireites into Bath now?
 
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