Awakening Potentials

Overweight Canadians & Confused Politicians

Posted by: Marcelle

It is getting so bad that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC, is holding a special conference this May on this epidemic.

And what is alarming governments the most is the future costs of this epidemic. “estimates that by 2030, the obesity rate in the U.S. will increase 42 percent from the prevailing rate of 34 percent. This equates to be roughly 32 million obese adults in the U.S., burdening the country’s health care system with a staggering $550 billion in costs by 2030 in 18 years.”

The same numbers for Canadians, as far as percentages also apply.  Yes, we are catching up to our American Cousins.  And that would mean that obesity will cost Canadian health plans about $55 billions dollars in costs by 2030!

You almost feel sorry for Dalton McGuinty, the Ontario premier, with his dilemma about the budget.

Note that I said “almost feel for Dalton”.  He has to be surrounded by a phalanx of “yes men” who blind him from the reality that the current system is broken.  How else can you explain the way he is running this province into bankruptcy.

As long as we keep focused on disease care and ignore common sense health care things will only get worse.  Years ago he cut out chiropractic care to save $100 million dollars a year, even thought government studies showed that fully funded chiropractic care would save the province $1 billion dollars a year in hospital bills!

So how about a common sense revolution?  How about a new and significant Sugar Tax on all things that have added sugar?  Boy, would that ever get everyone’s attention in a hurry.  And at the same time, would probably make people think twice before drinking another beer, or eating another doughnut.

Who knows, it could even start a whole new industry, smuggling in sugar from other provinces.

---