Who Pays for Obesity?

Adult obesity is a growing problem. From 1962 to 2006, obesity prevalence nearly tripled to 35.1 percent of adults. The rising prevalence of obesity is not limited to a particular socioeconomic group and is not unique to the United States. Should this widespread obesity epidemic be a cause for alarm? From a personal health perspective, the answer is an emphatic “yes.” But when it comes to justifications of public policy for reducing obesity, the analysis becomes more complex. A common starting point is the assertion that those who are obese impose higher health costs on the rest of the population—a statement which is then taken to justify public policy interventions. But the question of who pays for obesity is an empirical one, and it involves analysis of how obese people fare in labor markets and health insurance markets. We will argue that the existing literature on these topics suggests that obese people on average do bear the costs and benefits of their eating and exercise habits. We begin by estimating the lifetime costs of obesity. We then discuss the extent to which private health insurance pools together obese and thin, whether health insurance causes obesity, and whether being fat might actually cause positive externalities for those who are not obese. If public policy to reduce obesity is not justified on the grounds of external costs imposed on others, then the remaining potential justification would need to be on the basis of helping people to address problems of ignorance or self-control that lead to obesity. In the conclusion, we offer a few thoughts about some complexities of such a justification.


Japan’s Health Care System

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/03/05/japanese-man-dies-after-being-turned-away-from-25-hospitals/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/04/injured-man-dies-in-japan_n_163851.html


The Best Essay on Health Care

http://cafehayek.com/2012/11/the-best-essay-on-health-care.html


The Stunted Vision of the Democratic Party

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The Stunted Vision of the Democratic Party


Path of Healthcare Spending

http://mungowitzend.blogspot.com/2012/08/be-kind-rewind.html


The Economist Refutes Michael Moore

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The Economist Refutes Michael Moore


Bioethicist Complains that the Rich Are Getting Breakthrough Cancer Treatments First

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Bioethicist Complains that the Rich Are Getting Breakthrough Cancer Treatments First


why you should want drug companies to want to make money off your illness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fqoGrGPB24&feature=youtu.be


Emails Show White House Officials Coordinated With Drug Industry to Promote ObamaCare

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Emails Show White House Officials Coordinated With Drug Industry to Promote ObamaCare


Obama’s Utterly Bogus and Insincere Attack Against Big Pharma

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Obama’s Utterly Bogus and Insincere Attack Against Big Pharma


Sorry, Students! Colleges Cease Offering Student Health Insurance Because of ObamaCare

http://reason.com/blog/2012/06/04/sorry-students-colleges-cease-offering-s


Michelle Malkin » Obamacare cronyism: The First Lady’s patient-dumping, privacy-meddling scheme

http://michellemalkin.com/2012/05/16/obamcare-cronyism-the-first-ladys-patient-dumping-privacy-meddling-scheme/


What Physicians Think about Health Reform

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What Physicians Think about Health Reform


Exposing the Medicare Double Count

http://mercatus.org/expert_commentary/exposing-medicare-double-count


Employers Are Advised on Dropping Health Insurance – WSJ.com

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304811304577367833267990666.html?KEYWORDS=health+reform

 


Quote of the Day

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Quote of the Day


Bhagwati dishes:

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Bhagwati dishes:


Liberals Once Hated the Individual Mandate

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Liberals Once Hated the Individual Mandate


Health Care Mandates vs Pizza Toppings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdfn0Wiywk4&feature=player_embedded


And the Winner Is….

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And the Winner Is….

 


Individual Mandate | No to broccoli mandate, yes to health insurance mandate? | The Daily Caller

http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/28/no-to-broccoli-mandate-yes-to-health-insurance-mandate/

 


Cost of ObamaCare Doubles

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Cost of ObamaCare Doubles

 


The Misconceptions Driving the Health Care Debate at AEI

http://healthblog.ncpa.org/the-misconceptions-driving-the-health-care-debate-at-aei/


Why Is There No Reliable Angie’s List for Doctors?

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Why Is There No Reliable Angie’s List for Doctors?

 


Administration Caught Changing Its Story on Why ObamaCare Exchanges Will Cost $111 Billion More Than Predicted Just Last Year | House Committee on Ways & Means

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=283520

 


How Much Does a New Drug Cost?

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How Much Does a New Drug Cost?

 


Morality as Word Magic

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Morality as Word Magic


Doctor Poll: 69% Pessimistic About Future of Medicine Under ObamaCare

http://healthblog.ncpa.org/doctor-poll-69-pessimistic-about-future-of-medicine-under-obamacare/


The Long Run Is Nigh: Drum, Krugman, Disemployment and Obamacare

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The Long Run Is Nigh: Drum, Krugman, Disemployment and Obamacare

 


Learning from the Way Doctors Die

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Learning from the Way Doctors Die

 


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