Posted on 09/14/2002 9:39:44 AM PDT by forest
LOL, Well ..... it's only fair.
No, he is in Canada, but why would he not do the same for me, granted he does take well to training. :-}
The police officer approaches him and asks: "Have you been drinking Sir?"
"Why?" asks Matt, "Was I all over the road?"
"No" replies the officer, "You were driving splendidly. It was the ugly fat chick in the passenger seat who made me suspicious."
Now I see where you're coming from. :-}
But I can usually shut the bitch up with some chocolate.
And the people are going to come out of the woodwork to get some money.
Litigate ourselves into oblivion. This is going to be fun to watch.
Here are some numbers to chew over from the surgeon general's office:
The primary concern of overweight and obesity is one of health and not appearance.
PREMATURE DEATH
An estimated 300,000 deaths per year may be attributable to obesity.
The risk of death rises with increasing weight. Individuals who are obese (BMI > 30)* have a 50 to 100% increased risk of premature death from all causes, compared to individuals with a healthy weight.
HEART DISEASE
The incidence of heart disease (heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina or chest pain, and abnormal heart rhythm) is increased in persons who are overweight or obese (BMI > 25).*
High blood pressure is twice as common in adults who are obese than in those who are at a healthy weight. Obesity is associated with elevated triglycerides (blood fat) and decreased HDL cholesterol ("good cholesterol").
DIABETES
A weight gain of 11 to 18 pounds increases a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes to twice that of individuals who have not gained weight.
Over 80% of people with diabetes are overweight or obese.
CANCER
Overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk for some types of cancer including endometrial (cancer of the lining of the uterus), colon, gall bladder, prostate, kidney, and postmenopausal breast cancer.
Women gaining more than 20 pounds from age 18 to midlife double their risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, compared to women whose weight remains stable.
BREATHING PROBLEMS
Sleep apnea (interrupted breathing while sleeping) is more common in obese persons.
Obesity is associated with a higher prevalence of asthma.
ARTHRITIS
For every 2-pound increase in weight, the risk of developing arthritis is increased by 9 to 13%. Symptoms of arthritis can improve with weight loss.
REPRODUCTIVE COMPLICATIONS
Complications of pregnancy
Obesity during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of death in both the baby and the mother and increases the risk of maternal high blood pressure by 10 times.
In addition to many other complications, women who are obese during pregnancy are more likely to have gestational diabetes and problems with labor and delivery.
Infants born to women who are obese during pregnancy are more likely to be high birthweight and, therefore, may face a higher rate of Cesarean section delivery and low blood sugar (which can be associated with brain damage and seizures).
Obesity during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of birth defects, particularly neural tube defects, such as spina bifida.
ADDITIONAL HEALTH CONSEQUENCES
Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risks of gall bladder disease, incontinence, increased surgical risk, and depression.
Obesity can affect the quality of life through limited mobility and decreased physical endurance as well as through social, academic, and job discrimination.
CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
Risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, occur with increased frequency in overweight children and adolescents compared to those with a healthy weight.
Type 2 diabetes, previously considered an adult disease, has increased dramatically in children and adolescents. Overweight and obesity are closely linked to type 2 diabetes.
Overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults. This increases to 80% if one or more parent is overweight or obese.
The most immediate consequence of overweight, as perceived by children themselves, is social discrimination.
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_consequences.htm
Economic Costs Related to Overweight and Obesity
As the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased in the United States, so have related health care costs--both direct and indirect.
Direct health care costs refer to preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services (for example, physician visits, medications, and hospital and nursing home care).
Indirect costs are the value of wages lost by people unable to work because of illness or disability, as well as the value of future earnings lost by premature death.
Q: What is the cost of overweight and obesity?
A: Total cost: $99.2 billion
Direct cost: $51.6 billion (5.7 percent of the U.S. health expenditure)
Indirect cost: $47.6 billion (comparable to the economic costs of cigarette smoking)
What is the cost of heart disease related to overweight and obesity?
A: Direct cost related to overweight and obesity: $6.99 billion (17 percent of the $40.4 billion total direct cost of heart disease, independent of stroke)
Q: What is the cost of type 2 diabetes related to overweight and obesity?
A: Total cost related to overweight and obesity: $63.14 billion (more than 60 percent of the total cost of type 2 diabetes)
Direct cost: $32.4 billion Indirect cost: $30.74 billion
Q: What is the cost of osteoarthritis related to overweight and obesity?
A: Total cost related to overweight and obesity: $17.2 billion
Direct cost: $4.3 billion Indirect cost: $12.9 billion
Q: What is the cost of hypertension (high blood pressure) related to overweight and obesity?
A: Direct cost related to overweight and obesity: $3.23 billion (17 percent of the total cost of hypertension)
Q: What is the cost of cancer related to overweight and obesity?
A: Post-menopausal breast cancer
Total cost related to overweight and obesity: $2.32 billion Direct cost: $840 million Indirect cost: $1.48 billion Endometrial cancer Total cost related to overweight and obesity: $790 million Direct cost: $286 million Indirect cost: $504 million
Colon cancer
Total cost related to overweight and obesity: $2.78 billion Direct cost: $1 billion Indirect cost: $1.78 billion
Q: What is the cost of lost productivity related to obesity?
A: The cost of lost productivity related to obesity (BMI 30) among Americans ages 17-64 is $3.93 billion. This value considers the following annual numbers (for 1994):
Workdays lost related to obesity: 39.3 million Physician office visits related to obesity: 62.7 million Restricted activity days related to obesity: 239.0 million Bed-days related to obesity: 89.5 million
That makes two of us. :-}
That is very interesting, but not too suprising, now that I think about it.
Man, what a racket. I expect there were a few judges waiting with their hand out.
Discrimination. 8<)
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