I got an email recently, about an "International size acceptance movement" and i at first dismissed it as joke mail, but i googled it on a whim and found to my horror they were serious, theres actually people pretending obesity is healthy, and that they shouldnt be discriminated against by insurance and medical industries!, my only thoughts are its fked up. any other thoughts?

From an appearance point of view, I don't think anyone should be discriminated against.

Having said that I agree that Insurance companies have every right to consider obesity as a high risk factor. There are undoubtedly health issues associated with obesity.

In a few (rare) cases, the cause is genetic... which complicates the matter.

It would me like the insurance company can charge more if you were born with Down's syndrome, or a predisposition for a heart attack. Although I'm guessing in 99% of cases, the cause is not entirely genetic, but controllable through diet and exercise.

Overall though, I like the idea of rewarding people who make healthier choices. It saves the company money, so why shouldn't that money (or percent) be given back to the person as a reward?

Unfortunately, despite what some people would have everyone believe, the insurance industry don't have an infinite reserve of money. It would be irresponsible for them to insure someone who is obese when they are at higher risk of health problems at the same rate as an average person. Either the insurance company would have to run on a shoe-string budget, go bankrupt or raise the cost of every persons insurance quite substantially.

It does get more complicated in cases of genetic defects from birth (as yaaarrrgg mentions), as well as the fact that the overall amount of cases of obesity (and anorexia) are caused by psychological issues.

Despite that, my first paragraph is generally valid, especially in this case, considering it is in response to the "International size acceptance movement".

I feel I have a unique perspective on this as I've been on both sides.

I used to be stick insect thin but years of oral steroids (chronic asthma) have changed that. I would never consider myself healthy and fat. However, I don't think being too thin is healthy either.

I would like to see insurance companies impose the same restrictions on underweight (size 0 types) who also have health issues.

well ive been on both sides too, though reversed from mmccarthy, i was an 18st teenager and am know a 12st 7lb twenty something the extra energy i had was amazing, heck i could run for the bus without sweating buckets and i no longer had joint aches, other than the single perecentage figure who have genetic diseases, the rest are merely in delusion, sure some people are naturally chubbier than others, but chubby isnt obese, noone naturally weighs an eigth to a quarter of a ton which is what the majority of the fat acceptance seem to quote as their weight,

too try and tell people obesity is natural an healthy in most cases is just immoral self-delusion at best at worst its dishonest, if it were natural then countrys with a traditionally healthy diet such as japan would have the same levels of obesity as everywhere else.

Absolutely. I couldn't say what approach most insurance companies take on people with health issues due to them being underweight, but it would make little sense (from both a general and business perspective) for them to charge them less than overweight people with health problems.

a little overweight is healthy although I don't think this has to do with obesity.

I oppose higher rates for fat people, as it isn't clear till this day if there are some genetics at work.


There was an article a couple of days ago on digg which showed some studies.

children got two carrots or other vegetables to eat, one without any brands and the other one was wrapped in mcdonalds package.

the vegetables with the mcdonalds brand won as it seemed to has the better taste although it was the same.

think about that.

noones denying theres some genetics at work, but its the case of a pinch of nature and a bowlful of nurture, if it wasnt then the rates across all similarly developed countries would be largely the same and they arent.

im not sure what your point about the carrots was, there are plenty of documented studies about how we can psychologically control our sense of taste, but it has nothing to do with making people obese,
i wouldnt mind betting the large majority of skinny people prefer the taste of fatty food to salad, i know i do, but i also have the self-respect not to eat it in large quantities regularly. (at least any more)

also, whether or not its genetics, isnt insurance companies problem, fact is they are more likely to die, just as if you were naturally a bad driver (slower reactions, colour blindness, etc) who had several crashes your car insurance would be higher.

just because someone is fat shouldn't get him higher rates, same is it with your car. You actually need to have some accidents or a heart attack or something that the higher rates are justified.

Sure being fat isn't that healthy but as long they ave no severe problems they shouldn't pay more.

well no thats not true, if you have genetic things that affect your ability to drive then you will indeed have to declare them and they will affect your premium even if you havent had an accident yet, same as where you live will affect your premium, if you live in a crappy place where the robbery rate is high your premium is affected regardless of if youve been robbed or not.

hmm ok, I think you're right. I don't have a car so I don't know, but I don't think it is justified, but that's just my opinion.

well the area thing affects home insurance too.

why do you think its unjustified? bearing in mind were not talking a little chubby here were talking severely obese.

Well, I think many are actually as you can see victims of the stupid consumerism of our time, and everyone should take responsibility for this, not only a few.

Especially people with health problems shouldn't be the scape goats.

Maybe corporations producing unhealthy food should pay a percentage of the insurance.

i dont like consumerism and unfortunately most people dont look through the marketing gloss, but thats an entire different topic,

they arent being scapegoated imo, they are merely reaping the consequences of their lack of self-control, in the same way as alcoholics arent being scapegoated for societys health problems.

personally i dont think what there looking for is acceptance, what they are looking for is social justification, well, until we see an alcoholics acceptance movement im personally hoping that society has enough collective common sense not to give it to them.

Why? There are people who eat healthily. Why should they have to suffer increased insurance premiums due to people who chose to eat fatty foods? That's unfair.

If you cram yourself full of fatty foods and become hugely overweight, you pay the price in health insurance. That's not unfair.

Well I see all of the people as a part of society, if society has problems, society pays.

To keep it short and simple.

Not sure what you mean by "discriminated against." If there is a high risk factor, of course they are going to pay more than someone with no risk factors for health insurance.

It's the same with car insurance - if a 19 year-old boy who drives a sports car applies for insurance, he is going to pay much more for the same coverage than a 75 year-old man who drives a sedan.

Likewise, if that 75 year-old man wants to buy a $50,000 life insurance policy, he will be paying a lot more than the kid would.

That only makes sense.

thats half the trouble if you ask me, i spent more than a few years blaming it all on genetics and the food my local supermarket sold, so i know what a bunch of BS it is, people just need to learn to have some personal responsibility for their own body. if they abuse themselves as such they pay the price, it would be societys fault if society put pressure on them to be fat, but it doesnt, quite the opposite. they purely have themselves to blame if its lack of education the government (at least here) is perfectly willing to educate them on healthy living, but for the most part it isnt, its simple lazyness.