jjc
03-Jun-03, 17:33
Anybody who has met me will tell you that I certainly have not earned the nickname ‘slim’. In fact, it would be fair to say that I am well past ‘cuddly’. So the idea that I might have to sign a ‘contract’ with my GP promising to go on a diet in exchange for healthcare is somewhat worrying.
I’m not entirely against the idea of patients having to meet certain requirements for their treatments – example: smokers who receive heart and lung transplants should be required to quit smoking, and morbidly obese people who have their stomachs stapled should be required to cut back on their calorie intake. These are extreme examples where extreme measures have been taken to save the lives of the patients. The requirements to quit smoking or to diet seem only reasonable in the same way as breaking a leg means you don’t play football for a while.
However, I don’t consider myself to be a drain on society. Yes, I’m fat - there’s no escaping that fact – but I exercise regularly and consider myself to be fairly fit. When I go to see my GP it is because I need treatment. I don’t go on a whim (who would?). I go because I am ill or injured. To the best of my knowledge (and certainly so far as my GPs have ever told me) none of the reasons for my visits to their surgeries have been caused by my weight.
The idea that I will be segregated and discriminated against based on my weight is nothing new to me (just try buying decent looking clothes in extra large). The idea that this will be a government backed… no, I’ll rephrase that… a governmentally mandated discrimination is appalling. Why should I, as a tax-paying member of this society, expect any lesser treatment from my GP than, say, a drug addict with a cold or a skier with a broken leg? If I need antibiotics for an infection or hydrocortisone cream for eczema then I expect that to be provided without having to sign a contract promising to lead a healthier life.
And if I refuse to sign, do I get a rebate on my tax bill to refund the money that I have put into the NHS that I am no longer able to use???
I’m not entirely against the idea of patients having to meet certain requirements for their treatments – example: smokers who receive heart and lung transplants should be required to quit smoking, and morbidly obese people who have their stomachs stapled should be required to cut back on their calorie intake. These are extreme examples where extreme measures have been taken to save the lives of the patients. The requirements to quit smoking or to diet seem only reasonable in the same way as breaking a leg means you don’t play football for a while.
However, I don’t consider myself to be a drain on society. Yes, I’m fat - there’s no escaping that fact – but I exercise regularly and consider myself to be fairly fit. When I go to see my GP it is because I need treatment. I don’t go on a whim (who would?). I go because I am ill or injured. To the best of my knowledge (and certainly so far as my GPs have ever told me) none of the reasons for my visits to their surgeries have been caused by my weight.
The idea that I will be segregated and discriminated against based on my weight is nothing new to me (just try buying decent looking clothes in extra large). The idea that this will be a government backed… no, I’ll rephrase that… a governmentally mandated discrimination is appalling. Why should I, as a tax-paying member of this society, expect any lesser treatment from my GP than, say, a drug addict with a cold or a skier with a broken leg? If I need antibiotics for an infection or hydrocortisone cream for eczema then I expect that to be provided without having to sign a contract promising to lead a healthier life.
And if I refuse to sign, do I get a rebate on my tax bill to refund the money that I have put into the NHS that I am no longer able to use???