Comments on: LONGEVITY STUDY: ANOTHER LAME RESPONSE http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/04/29/longevity-study-another-lame-response/ Cleaning the Augean Stables of the Health Care Debate Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:17:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Rich http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/04/29/longevity-study-another-lame-response/#comment-115319 Rich Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:16:06 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/04/29/longevity-study-another-lame-response/#comment-115319 Joe, don't waste your breath (fingertips?). If they are fat, it is clearly because of a society and government that fails to intervene and keep them from becoming fat. It is not their fault, and therefore not their responsibility. It is the fault of a capitalist government which widens disparities not only in income, but in geography! Clearly, those areas of the country with declining longevity need broad based, governmental intervention funded by increased taxes on those who have been appropriately coerced by the government to stay healthy long enough to earn an income large enough from which to extort taxes. The general public is clearly not smart enough to make lifestyle decisions without the help of a bigger, well funded government. Heck, next thing you know, the government will be telling dentists that they work too much, and need a vacation. Oh, wait a minute... Joe, don’t waste your breath (fingertips?). If they are fat, it is clearly because of a society and government that fails to intervene and keep them from becoming fat. It is not their fault, and therefore not their responsibility. It is the fault of a capitalist government which widens disparities not only in income, but in geography! Clearly, those areas of the country with declining longevity need broad based, governmental intervention funded by increased taxes on those who have been appropriately coerced by the government to stay healthy long enough to earn an income large enough from which to extort taxes.

The general public is clearly not smart enough to make lifestyle decisions without the help of a bigger, well funded government. Heck, next thing you know, the government will be telling dentists that they work too much, and need a vacation. Oh, wait a minute…

]]> By: Joe C. http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/04/29/longevity-study-another-lame-response/#comment-115174 Joe C. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:38:45 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/04/29/longevity-study-another-lame-response/#comment-115174 Marc, Have you been to the US lately? We've got fat bastards everywhere. In some places they seem to be in the majority. Amusement parks now have special seats to accommodate larger riders. With the high rate of obesity, drug and alcohol use, horrible diets it's a miracle that the US is able to keep its life expectancy in pace with other developed countries at all. Marc,

Have you been to the US lately? We’ve got fat bastards everywhere. In some places they seem to be in the majority. Amusement parks now have special seats to accommodate larger riders. With the high rate of obesity, drug and alcohol use, horrible diets it’s a miracle that the US is able to keep its life expectancy in pace with other developed countries at all.

]]> By: Joe C. http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/04/29/longevity-study-another-lame-response/#comment-115172 Joe C. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:34:02 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/04/29/longevity-study-another-lame-response/#comment-115172 Is your contention that this pattern turns entirely on the health care system and not lifestyle choices? Is your contention that this pattern turns entirely on the health care system and not lifestyle choices?

]]> By: Marc Brown http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/04/29/longevity-study-another-lame-response/#comment-114266 Marc Brown Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:51:32 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/04/29/longevity-study-another-lame-response/#comment-114266 Joe, don't rely on what you read in right wing newspapers. Go read the paper. Joe, don’t rely on what you read in right wing newspapers. Go read the paper.

]]> By: Joe C. http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/04/29/longevity-study-another-lame-response/#comment-114143 Joe C. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:34:29 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/04/29/longevity-study-another-lame-response/#comment-114143 Marc, Are you trying to link the drop in life expectancy for certain groups to economic inequality even though the Harvard researchers emphatically deny this is the case? Allow me to recap for you: "The declines weren’t strongly associated with race or income, and instead appeared to cluster primarily in certain regions …" It appears that lifestyle choices, like smoking and overeating, play a strong role in these declines. Since I have little control over what other people do, there is little for me to be ashamed of personally. It is a sad trend to be sure, but there's no need to force your faux piety down our throats. Marc,

Are you trying to link the drop in life expectancy for certain groups to economic inequality even though the Harvard researchers emphatically deny this is the case?

Allow me to recap for you:

“The declines weren’t strongly associated with race or income, and instead appeared to cluster primarily in certain regions …”

It appears that lifestyle choices, like smoking and overeating, play a strong role in these declines. Since I have little control over what other people do, there is little for me to be ashamed of personally. It is a sad trend to be sure, but there’s no need to force your faux piety down our throats.

]]> By: Marc Brown http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/04/29/longevity-study-another-lame-response/#comment-113973 Marc Brown Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:49:32 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/04/29/longevity-study-another-lame-response/#comment-113973 Your callousness would shock if it wasn't so common - the facts are clear. A widening gap between rich and poor is shocking enough and a terrible indictment of your country and also the UK, where it is also happening thanks to economic policies. But life expectancy has actually gone down for some groups in the US, as that other recent research shows. You should be ashamed - why aren't you? Your callousness would shock if it wasn’t so common - the facts are clear. A widening gap between rich and poor is shocking enough and a terrible indictment of your country and also the UK, where it is also happening thanks to economic policies. But life expectancy has actually gone down for some groups in the US, as that other recent research shows. You should be ashamed - why aren’t you?

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