The US necessarily wouldn’t even need to spend more on healthcare to improve the health of it’s citizens; a lot couls be achieved with stricter food regulations, like limiting the usage of corn syrup or sugar content in some groceries. Making food healthier means less obesity means less strain on the healthcare system.
In a Universal healtcare system, there is a monetary incentive for the autorities to make laws and regulations to prevent disease - prevention is a lot cheaper than fixing things after the damage is done.
In a pure for profit healthcare system there is no such incentive for the autorities - in some ways, there might even be the opposite incentive, depending on the levels of Corruption and how much more profit the Healthcare sector can make if people are more sick: after all, when a country spends twice as much as a percentage of the GDP in Healthcare, that means there’s a lot more money to be made in Healthcare, and private interests have an incentive to buy politicians and regulators to help them profit as much as possible.
Beyond this there is also the whole “doing what’s best for our people” incentive, which is the US is so weak that it doesn’t even apply to some obviously bad things (for example, easy availability of guns, which is definitelly bad for people’s health) much less to more subtle pathways to damage people’s health such as unhealthy food.
Universal healthcare also allows the state to have enormous negotiation power. Some European countries co-operate to get even better prices on pharmaceuticals, just imagine the state placing on the table that best offer will give you access to a market 340 million people, gouging nada.
Fat people often just get scolded by doctors for being fat and are not offered any actual care. Lots of fat people refuse to go to the doctor unless they’re practically dying because it can be humiliating and/or traumatic. Also BMI is anti-science bullshit. Refined sugar is not good for you, but don’t blame fat people for straining the system. Blame the system for straining fat people.
I don’t eat nearly as much food as I used to, and now exercise more regularly by going to the pool every other day. The doctor still thinks I am not doing enough. Here’s the thing: my intake of food is about 1/3rd of a close relative.
Between the doctor’s skepticism when I tell them that I have done things differently, and the lack of weight loss from a changing lifestyle, I am coming to a conclusion: don’t trust this doctor, and genetics is definitely a factor.
It is my hope for AI doctors to become reliable someday. My human doctor doesn’t really look at me, and doesn’t listen, and I hate talking. I prefer writing, because talking is hard. Being raised in the boonies, conversation in realtime isn’t a skill of mine.
We have poor nutritional education in the USA as well. With the addition of blaming addicts for their behavior than those who are addicting them. Looking at you sugar/HFCS in everything. A lot of it is not so obvious. We’ve literally been led to believe that FAT is bad for us, it’s what makes you fat. Not that carbs and sugars are what cause you to be fat.
There’s diversity in BUILDS of people. Some will be thicker than others but that doesn’t mean they’re obese. I’m obese and I suffer health effects from it and have been obese most of my life. This entire obesity acceptance thought is backwards. We should get rid of the stigma but it is not healthy.
The US necessarily wouldn’t even need to spend more on healthcare to improve the health of it’s citizens; a lot couls be achieved with stricter food regulations, like limiting the usage of corn syrup or sugar content in some groceries. Making food healthier means less obesity means less strain on the healthcare system.
In a Universal healtcare system, there is a monetary incentive for the autorities to make laws and regulations to prevent disease - prevention is a lot cheaper than fixing things after the damage is done.
In a pure for profit healthcare system there is no such incentive for the autorities - in some ways, there might even be the opposite incentive, depending on the levels of Corruption and how much more profit the Healthcare sector can make if people are more sick: after all, when a country spends twice as much as a percentage of the GDP in Healthcare, that means there’s a lot more money to be made in Healthcare, and private interests have an incentive to buy politicians and regulators to help them profit as much as possible.
Beyond this there is also the whole “doing what’s best for our people” incentive, which is the US is so weak that it doesn’t even apply to some obviously bad things (for example, easy availability of guns, which is definitelly bad for people’s health) much less to more subtle pathways to damage people’s health such as unhealthy food.
Universal healthcare also allows the state to have enormous negotiation power. Some European countries co-operate to get even better prices on pharmaceuticals, just imagine the state placing on the table that best offer will give you access to a market 340 million people, gouging nada.
Excellent points!
Fat people often just get scolded by doctors for being fat and are not offered any actual care. Lots of fat people refuse to go to the doctor unless they’re practically dying because it can be humiliating and/or traumatic. Also BMI is anti-science bullshit. Refined sugar is not good for you, but don’t blame fat people for straining the system. Blame the system for straining fat people.
I don’t eat nearly as much food as I used to, and now exercise more regularly by going to the pool every other day. The doctor still thinks I am not doing enough. Here’s the thing: my intake of food is about 1/3rd of a close relative.
Between the doctor’s skepticism when I tell them that I have done things differently, and the lack of weight loss from a changing lifestyle, I am coming to a conclusion: don’t trust this doctor, and genetics is definitely a factor.
It is my hope for AI doctors to become reliable someday. My human doctor doesn’t really look at me, and doesn’t listen, and I hate talking. I prefer writing, because talking is hard. Being raised in the boonies, conversation in realtime isn’t a skill of mine.
We have poor nutritional education in the USA as well. With the addition of blaming addicts for their behavior than those who are addicting them. Looking at you sugar/HFCS in everything. A lot of it is not so obvious. We’ve literally been led to believe that FAT is bad for us, it’s what makes you fat. Not that carbs and sugars are what cause you to be fat.
A lot of people’s bodies just want to be larger than other people’s. This isn’t about willpower and education, it’s about recognizing diversity.
Yes we make it worse with our decisions as a society, but some people are gonna be fatter regardless.
There’s diversity in BUILDS of people. Some will be thicker than others but that doesn’t mean they’re obese. I’m obese and I suffer health effects from it and have been obese most of my life. This entire obesity acceptance thought is backwards. We should get rid of the stigma but it is not healthy.
Yeah I’ve had health problems from being overweight too.
Shaming me for being overweight never made a difference at all, and probably made things worse.
I imagine the price will be a factor too. Why pay money to be berated with no actual help?
Also need to subsidize grocery distribution into food deserts. Many people don’t even have access to fresh produce if they wanted it.
Or vaccines
No.
?