The NHS is a fantastic service. It gives us access to medicines which can help us to recover from many illnesses and diseases. However, there’s one group which could be seen as taking advantage of the system, and that’s the obese people.
The overweight in our society are prone to many health problems and conditions. Some would argue that this makes them in need of a resource like the NHS, whereas others would take a different stance and place the blame directly on their heads. Should they pay for their treatment?
Why Make Obese People Pay?
So, why should you make obese people pay for their NHS treatment? Well, some people would argue that their condition is self-inflicted.
From a young age, we’re taught that we have to look after our bodies and eat healthily. Many of us do and go on to lead long and productive lives. However, there are a lot of people who don’t take any notice of this advice and eat the wrong food well into adulthood. However, when one has a poor diet or bad exercise habits, they won’t be able to maintain a good level of fitness. They become clinically obese, and this then means that they need to try and find medical attention to help overcome their various conditions. As you can imagine, there are a lot of people who are unsympathetic to this.
They believe that these individuals have neglected their bodies, and should not, therefore, have access to free medical attention from a service which is already overworked, understaffed and lacking in money, because it is entirely self-inflicted.
The Other Side of the Coin
Of course, many people do not think this way and feel that people should have access to the NHS regardless of their situation. There are, after all, many instances where someone has gained weight due to circumstances out of their control. People who are suffering from long-term health conditions may not be able to look after their bodies properly, and some suffer from hormone issues which don’t allow them to regulate their weight. It’s these people, many argue, that should have access to things like NHS help to try and correct the problem or keep their weight down. Many people also have eating disorders which prevent them from making the correct decisions and should be allowed to have access to treatment.
Overall, the side of the fence that you come down on will vary according to your outlook on the world. You don’t necessarily have to agree that people should have access to this type of treatment when what they have done to their bodies is their choice. When you consider the impact of obesity on joints, you see that there are many situations when it becomes apparent that a lot of resources are needed to help people properly. It is up to you how you go about finding out what stance you want to take, but if you were or indeed are clinically obese, whose fault is that? and how would you want to be treated?
