Obesity becoming increasing burden on health system.

Whitney Everett/Obesity becoming increasing burden on health system/February 15, 2008/post 5

The article that I chose this week is from Scotland and is talking about the burden that severely obese people are putting on the health system there. They have spent over 30,000 dollars in recent years on equipment to accommodate obese patients. The money has been spent on bigger beds and chairs as well as lifts to hoist the patients up. Extra staff has been hired to help lift patients and morbidly obese patients were often difficult to treat because they could have several health problems at the one time. They are looking to get special equipment to deal with larger patients, special stretchers, carry devices and even ambulances. They said in the article, only 9 percent of men and 11 percent of women were considered obese in 1977, but by 2003 that figure had risen to 20 percent and 22 percent.

My opinion on this article is a little confusing. I know that many people are severely obese in Scotland and I think something does need to be done about this. On the other hand, I find this article a bit condescending in a way because health care such as hospitals are there for anyone and everyone for help and care for and even is these patients are obese they should come together to do whatever they can to help this person. I find this article implying that overweight people are a burden and health care places doesn’t want to be burden with them. When in fact they should do everything in their power to help them, starting with getting down the core of why they are overweight and what lifestyle changes they should make to encourage weight loss.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/southlandtimes/4403234a6568.html