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Politics : A US National Health Care System? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (7959)	7/31/2009 2:20:02 PM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 42652

Spending your tax money on health care: Agencies look at weight of the nation from CalorieLab Diet News by sarah Several different government agencies took part in a conference on obesity prevention and control this week. The Weight of the Nation program was meant to serve as a forum between policymakers and health experts to devise ways to prevent obesity in four key areas: the community at large, medical settings, schools and workplaces. Sebelius says more money going to states The speaker at the event who has gotten the most attention is Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who said part of the stimulus package will go to state and local governments to help control obesity, including an investment in public transportation. She said she hoped that the overhaul of the healthcare system being debated in Congress and the school lunch guidelines to be considered later this year could bring more fruits, vegetables and other healthy choices to children, as well as putting more focus on prevention of health problems like obesity rather than simply focusing on treatment. She noted that the American Cancer Society says spending on all cancers combined is $93 billion a year, while a recent report said obesity costs the healthcare system $147 billion a year. “So, ending obesity would save our healthcare system 50 percent more dollars than curing cancer,” she said. She said the government needs to do more to promote healthy eating and exercise, particularly at schools, senior centers and in government buildings. She suggested that the government fund new programs to encourage kids in particular to get more physical activity, but didn’t provide details. Ways to help prevent obesity A report released in advance of the conference recommended 24 strategies that could help prevent obesity and trim obesity levels in the United States. The report is quite detailed, offering reasons why the strategies should work and how success in that area could be measured. For a quick summary (some have been combined): 1. Communities should increase the availability and affordability of healthy foods in schools and other “public service venues” like parks, community centers and city buildings. 2. Grocery stores should be more widely available in currently underserved areas, and retailers should be given incentives to locate in such areas. 3. Communities should make it easier for people to purchase healthy food from farms by expanding farmers’ markets and making them available more days through the year. 4. Communities should provide incentives for purchasing food from local farms and for local farm production. 5. Communities should restrict availability of less healthy food and drink choices in public buildings. 6. Communities should have smaller portion size options for foods in public buildings. 7. Advertising for unhealthy foods and drinks should be limited. 8. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages should be discouraged. 9. Communities should support women who breastfeed. 10. Physical education should be required in schools, and the amount of physical activity in classes should be increased. 11. More opportunities for extracurricular physical activity should be made available. 12. More access to recreational facilities should be offered. 13. Infrastructure changes should support bike riding and walking. 14. Schools should be located in neighborhoods so children can walk or bike to them. 15. Access to public transportation should be improved. 16. Neighborhoods should provide mixed-use zoning so people can easily walk to stores, work, etc. 17. Places where people could walk should be made safer for pedestrians. 18. Communities should take part in coalitions and partnerships to address obesity. The report notes some limitations to these strategies, as many apply mostly to urban areas that have neighborhoods and access to public transportation, and they only target areas where local governments have control, such as public buildings. Still, it’s a very good thing to hear people talking about these issues, and the hope is that some good change will happen soon that might help to turn the tide of ever-increasing obesity levels. (By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News) From the RSS feed of CalorieLab News (REF3076322B7)

To: Lane3 who wrote (7959)	7/31/2009 6:56:03 PM
From: i-node	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42652

>> I haven't adopted Obama's anything. Does he have a cynical view? I'd say a man who suggests that physicians would perform unnecessary surgery to boost fees, is a cynic. I don't know one physician whom I believe would do this. So I give her a list of blood tests that hadn't been done for a year or longer and she asks me for a reason for each. Says she can't order the test without a reason. That insurance won't pay for it. Like knowing I'm on the right track for avoiding heart disease and diabetes isn't a "reason"? Perhaps the tests you were demanding are not considered medically useful. Like a full-body scan. If I go in and demand a CEA without an history of cancer I suspect my doc would respond the same way yours did.