Posted on 08/22/2008 8:18:33 AM PDT by cdga5for4
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Alabama, pushed to second in national obesity rankings by deep-fried Southern favorites, is cracking down on state workers who are too fat.
The state has given its 37,527 employees a year to start getting fit — or they'll pay $25 a month for insurance that otherwise is free.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Dont feel bad. I am 38 5'11'' and weigh 185. very good shape very little fat and I am MORBIDLY OBESE by these charts.
ME TOO! BMI sucks.....my husband’s company’s little “survey” we took to save $100 on our deductibles told me I was fat and drank too much wine.....because of the BMI only chart they used, and I said I drank a glass of red wine a day.....I’m in better shape than lots of people 20-30 years younger than me! (Lots more muscle mass than most which as you know means a higher weight)
ME TOO! BMI sucks.....my husband’s company’s little “survey” we took to save $100 on our deductibles told me I was fat and drank too much wine.....because of the BMI only chart they used, and I said I drank a glass of red wine a day.....I’m in better shape than lots of people 20-30 years younger than me! (Lots more muscle mass than most which as you know means a higher weight, plus really strong bones)
In my late 20s, I was 6-7 and 215 pounds. Hardly any body fat. BMI said I was borderline overweight, even though I was doing four-hour plus workouts.
Any system that does not accomodate natural human variability is stupid.
Every employee does pay, in the form of reduced wages for the amount the company (state) picks up. If the company passed the dollar amount on to the employee, the employee would likely get paid the difference and then be deducted the premium from their paycheck. Nets the same regardless.
BMI values are calculated using a base population that consists (or really consisted) of middle-class adult Belgians in the 1840s.
It's ridiculous.
You’ve noticed that too!
This has been one of those quiet secrets that most folks from Bama don’t blab much about. You have to remember this....while they get free health insurance...they get paid $18k to $28k for most state jobs. All of the state bus drivers get the free health insurance deal....but get almost minimum wage for their hours...although there are complaints because of the healthcare situation. Same deal for the clerks at the county tag office...who bring home $20k a year on average.
As a kid growing up in Bama...one of the neighbors was a county school carpenter....the school system kept their private crew of plumbers, roofers and carpenters. All of these guys were happy with their free healtcare deal and never complained about the situation...even though they were taking home a pretty low wage.
You make a good point.....which the article didn’t seem to make.....
Have you ever considered that some people don’t want to be obese but due to medical issues, they are overweight and most likely will be for the rest of their lives? I am happy that you are physically able to be in shape. God Bless you that you are healthy and doing well.
Absolutely, were I an employee, I’d be contacting a lawyer. Unless they are going to charge extra for ALL high risk groups, they can’t just pick on one.
Homosexuals first on the list.
Smokers, sky divers, the unmarried, diabetics, alcoholics, anyone who uses drugs, people with high blood pressure. . .
Do it to everybody or to nobody. I am sure I’d win.
EVERYTHING is high risk for purposes of charging extra.
Don’t sleep enough?
Don’t take your vitamins?
wear high heels?
Don’t use sunscreen?
(s)
YOU VILL OBEY!
(/s)
This ASSUMES the weight is a constant.
NORMAL people fluctuate five pounds around a set point. (set point theory)
No. You would not.
There is no constitutional right to insurance. It is an employee benefit, and as such, the employer can determine the fee structure for the benefit.
Not to mention completely predictable. A jackboot for the other guy and his behavior, but certainly not for mine!
I understand that. But alot of people DO NOT CARE.
As the number of disorders continue to increase at an accelerating pace it is but a few years until normal, healthy people will be a thing of the past.
We’ve been riding a tidal wave of diagnosis.
I don’t know if I agree with you, although I have no law education background.
For the state to ARBITRARILY charge one set of people more than another - to deny benefits to one group in an ARBITRARY way - I don’t think it would fly.
I’d present the arbitrariness of the decision to the court.
It is an employee benefit and we have no right to it; I completely agree.
However, this is the government as employer. So I think they can’t legally get away with this.
Myself, I’d decline the insurance and get myself a medical savings account. That’s what I’m pretty much doing right now, anyway.
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