If one is to ask "should smokers and overweight people receive health care treatment". then one must ask if anyone should be offered health care based on what kind of illness they have. For instance, should one receive treatment for type II diabetes, AIDS, cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, and skin cancer? All of these can be arguably self induced, therefore they should also fall into the category that smokers and overweight people fall into. One can also argue that people who don't take their calcium or other vitamins should not be treated for osteoporosis.

Who makes those judgments? Who is the one who has the "god=like" complex to be able to make those decisions. I realize that insurance companies all ready decide who is going to get treated and who isn't, but why in the world should people not receive health care treatment. Are we going to go to court and look at each case on an individual basis. Of course that would cost more than just paying the health costs. We would look at them and argue, "this person caused their own illness therefore, they should not get health care treatment." "This illness is hereditary and was caused by his great grandfather and "therefore should not be paid for either."

I do not know of anyone who would choose to be over weight. Sometimes there are illnesses that cause a person to be overweight like polycystic ovaries. Sometimes there are people who have started smoking and now can't quit. I don't know of anyone who really wants to fight for each and every breath that they are taking. To say that a person does not deserve health care because of what others consider to be a weakness or loss of self control or no will power is really one of the most prejudicial, judgmental things that I can think of. There would be no justice for this. I hate the very thought of limiting health care to the healthy.

Of course they should receive health care treatment. People should receive health care because they need it. An eating disorder is just that, an eating disorder. An addiction is an addiction. A mental illness is just that, a mental illness. Why should we judge who should and should not on the basis of our prejudices? This simply is not a way that our health care should work. By the way, pregnancy is also a self induced medical issue...should we not cover that expense either.

Learn more about this author, Renee Dawson.
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