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Here in lies OPINION, rather than science and stats !
Doctors sign an oath to protect and preserve life, so the yes argument may be a difficult one for their profession. Yet at the same time they are struggling with limited resources. They can only help some many people, why help someone who through a lifestyle choice has put themselves in ill health, when there are other people who need the operation that live a more health life style ?

If we had a more intelligent tax system that ensured that the deterrent taxes placed on cigarettes (or alcohol & the liver) could be funneled off to pay for smoking induced illnesses then the concept may be more viable. Although it may turn out that the current taxes would be no where near enough to cover the potential costs. If we take the concept to the next stage and tax unhealthy food (again to funnel the tax to pay for later health requirements), then the government would get accused of running a nanny state and removing an individuals choice !

Lets face it these operations are not cheap, and it is not the cost of the operation alone, but all the after care as well. It is a known fact that non smokers and non obese people recover more quickly than those that abuse their bodies.

I'm not the fittest person in the word, but I am not fat ! Nor do I smoke (well not for a good decade or so now); so given the choice should I get the operation or smoker twice my weight ?

Now I know I am likely to be upsetting people that say they can not help their weight, its genetics, slow metabolism etc this may be the case, although not very likely. Week in week out there are reports on the existence of the "fat gene" and its existence or not, and what ever medical conditions there are that do prevent people loosing weight then these are the exception (and the only ones that should be allowed to have the operation); the bottom line is that with weight your activity level needs to match your intake of calories. Just like smoking it is a life style choice, you can stop IF you want to. May be there should be a detox, weight loss, addiction breaking program people go on for a period of time before AND after the operation. Only by doing this do the showing willing to adapt their life style do they get the op. I know this would cost more, but it would save in the long run as more people would be healthier and therefore need fewer hospital visits.

So again it comes back to should my taxes pay for someone else's life style ? NO !

Learn more about this author, George Goodall.
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