But why are people fat? I don’t think it is just out of laziness….I believe most people are fat because they can not afford to be healthy!! When you have no money would you go buy 2 Big Macs for $3 (in the US) or pay a lot more to eat something healthy?… Healthy food needs to be cheaper…
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PS. I agree whole-heartedly… If you want support, spend some time in the Arctic region of Canada and try and tell me that isn’t true. It’s straight up market-forces at work (that’s for you Geoff, you young conservative whipper-snapper!)

The collapse of traditional community lifestyles due in large part to residential schools (the last one was closed less than 15 years ago for all those who say that it was a long time ago) has eroded their previously healthier and sustainable lifestyles.

I walked the streets of Inuvik a lot this summer and a majority of the families you see of low-middle income are obese. Those who can afford the expensive vegetables are not, but when there’s a Pizza Hut and KFC for way cheaper than everything else, what the hell they supposed to do? Well the NWT government is realizing this and sinking a bunch of money into public health education surrounding diet, but it’s definitely a task………

There is no doubt about the need for better health programs rather than just treatment; however, where would my health be today without either of my knee surgeries?

I wouldn’t be able to walk simply because I was being an active young adult. As my walking abilities deteriorate pre-surgery, it led to back and hip problems. My painkillers were taken twice/day for months until I received my surgeries. I couldn’t work in that state…..etc

Your article leads to a very accurate analysis for one avenue of which I am in support, but the final conclusion is, in my belief, misled due to the heavy weight given.

cheers,

-J

I am adamant that this is a ridiculous statement. The food you eat is a lifestyle choice in the US and not a problem based on money. People who say this are just being lazy and want an excuse to eat their hamburger from McDonalds. Vegetables are amongst the cheapest food you can buy and guess what: they are extremely healthy. Every Monday I make a giant stew of lentils, chickpeas, and an assortment of veggies and spices. It costs $5 and I have food for the entire week (at least 12 meals). This works out to be less than 50 cents a meal. It is cost efficient, time efficient and one of the healthiest things you can eat. It even tastes pretty good.

There is a lack of values placed on healthy eating. It is a societal problem. People like to eat their junk food and have no desire to exercise. Change those values and you will fix the problem.

But when talking about healthcare systems, rather than outcomes, it gets tricky talking about lifestyle related diseases. Are people not as deserving of treatment because they haven’t lived a model life? There are a lot of other issues at play here, for example, obesity in America is often linked to poverty, and poverty is also linked to a whole range of other indicators of health. There are definitely ways to solve these issues but they need to be addressed from a community/ cultural level and not from an individual level. “You’re fat, its your fault” isn’t the whole story…

Mais je veux manger twinkies tous la temps, et je veux la gouvernement a payer pour mon médication au diabète. Es ceci un problème?

Merci pour ton temps, et tes idées.

Au Revoir Geoff Costeloe.

Naite, part of the problem is that there is view for people to get the most food (i.e. calories)/$ when the amount of relatively healthy food you get for $3 is less though more than sufficient for sustenance.

As for the popular conservative bogeyman, it’s amazing to me how often we are told to fear the “inevitably inefficient bureaucracy” without this ever being substantiated by fact. Total public and private expenditure per capita on healthcare is double in America what it is in Canada or Great Britain. No matter how many times conservatives and libertarians trot out the supposed efficiency of the all-power free market, doesn’t make it any more true it reality.