Living in the UK everyone is treated the same, rich or poor, smoker or non-smoker, obese or thin. So my reply is YES smokers and over weight eople should receive health care treatment.

Until I retired I worked in a Health centre, I was aware of people who smoked too much and developed lung cancer,or respiratory problems, but equally people who had no vices, also suffered. Perhaps these people smoked to give them some relief from other pressures, just because I don't smoke and hate to be in the company of smokers doesn't give me the right to say they don't deserve health care treatment.

Regular smokers are estimated to live to 2.5 to 10 years less than nonsmokers. About one-half of male smokers will die of illness due to smoking. Tobacco related illnesses kill approximately 438,000 USA citizens per year, about 1,205 per day, making it the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. The World Health Organization has stated that tobacco is set to kill a billion people this century. A scary thought.

The main health risks in tobacco are to diseases of the cardiovascular system, in particular smoking being a major risk factor for a heart attack, diseases of the respiratory tract such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and emphysema, and cancer, particularly lung cancer and cancers of the larynx and mouth. We had clinics for all these problems and there was always a waiting list, not all were smokers but many were. I'm pleased to see smoking no longer allowed in public places in Great Britain, it at least helps staff who were passive smokers.

Likewise over weight people often had multiple other problems, but what came first the chicken or the egg? Perhaps their over weight problems arose from another medical problem, so yes they are entitled to treatment.

A variety of medical problems, including high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, depression and arthritis, have been associated with being overweight. It can also affect your walking as you are putting extra strain on your knees and feet.

The National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly funded healthcare system in Great Britain. The NHS provides healthcare to everyone normally resident in the UK. Most services are free but there are charges for dentistry and glasses etc.

The Health service is available to everyone in the United Kingdom and everyone should be given the same care no matter what the doctors and nurses feel about them.

Having said this a lot of doctors encourage people to give up smoking and to lose weight, as these people do take up a lot of time and money, but these is no easy answer to these problems and we have to learn to accept no one is perfect. Not even me!

Learn more about this author, JoanM.
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