In my eyes, no individual is a burden to the NHS, unless they are in this Country illegally or have never contributed taxes.
If you're a smoker, it's not illegal and you're funding the Government.
If you're a drinker, it's not illegal and you're funding the Government.
If you're obese as a result of eating a terrible diet and taking no exercise, it's not illegal and you're funding the Government.
If you've been in this Country, legally, even for two weeks, and need medical attention, the Government has allowed you to be here and has a duty of care.
If you shouldn't be here or if you've never paid a penny tax then you are a burden.
By definition, a burden is something that causes worry, hardship or distress. When the Government/NHS crunch the numbers and see how much they have spent on diabetes (all types), and forecast how much they will have to continue spending, then they are quite correct to say that it is a burden. If left unchecked, it will cause hardship and distress to the entire country. It's how this is conveyed to the nation that causes all of the problems.
Where I think people go wrong with the obesity & T2 debate is that they interpret what the media and Government is saying wrongly. They don't come out and say that T2 diabetes is caused by obesity and if you get fat you will be T2. What they say is that being overweight, having a certain size waist or being obese greatly increases your chances of developing T2 diabetes and that there is a "strong link". Just as smoking greatly increases your chances of lung cancer and drinking greatly increases you chances of liver failure. The studies and stats back these claims up and, although they don't apply to each and every individual, when you have the weight of numbers to suggest something, you will act upon it. If 80% of T2's were underweight at the time of diagnosis (as opposed to overweight) then we would be getting told that being underweight was a major risk factor in developing T2. That would be the risk factor.
Where we are all dependent is on the Government giving us the correct advice and publishing the correct guidelines. I have enormous respect for people on this forum who have educated themselves and it's a shame that you have to do so. Unfortunately, I think we live in a country where the Government and the NHS are just too damned scared to give the wrong advice or to upset the wrong people (major food corps). I also think we are verging on being on a country that is too scared to upset people by saying that your lifestyle has brought on complications.
I am not saying this about T2 specifically!!!!!!!!
However, we shouldn't bury our head in the sand and look for a reason behind everything that absolves people of blame. Sometimes it is really as simple as living a sedentary lifestyle and eating too much of the wrong thing.
If you're a smoker, it's not illegal and you're funding the Government.
If you're a drinker, it's not illegal and you're funding the Government.
If you're obese as a result of eating a terrible diet and taking no exercise, it's not illegal and you're funding the Government.
If you've been in this Country, legally, even for two weeks, and need medical attention, the Government has allowed you to be here and has a duty of care.
If you shouldn't be here or if you've never paid a penny tax then you are a burden.
By definition, a burden is something that causes worry, hardship or distress. When the Government/NHS crunch the numbers and see how much they have spent on diabetes (all types), and forecast how much they will have to continue spending, then they are quite correct to say that it is a burden. If left unchecked, it will cause hardship and distress to the entire country. It's how this is conveyed to the nation that causes all of the problems.
Where I think people go wrong with the obesity & T2 debate is that they interpret what the media and Government is saying wrongly. They don't come out and say that T2 diabetes is caused by obesity and if you get fat you will be T2. What they say is that being overweight, having a certain size waist or being obese greatly increases your chances of developing T2 diabetes and that there is a "strong link". Just as smoking greatly increases your chances of lung cancer and drinking greatly increases you chances of liver failure. The studies and stats back these claims up and, although they don't apply to each and every individual, when you have the weight of numbers to suggest something, you will act upon it. If 80% of T2's were underweight at the time of diagnosis (as opposed to overweight) then we would be getting told that being underweight was a major risk factor in developing T2. That would be the risk factor.
Where we are all dependent is on the Government giving us the correct advice and publishing the correct guidelines. I have enormous respect for people on this forum who have educated themselves and it's a shame that you have to do so. Unfortunately, I think we live in a country where the Government and the NHS are just too damned scared to give the wrong advice or to upset the wrong people (major food corps). I also think we are verging on being on a country that is too scared to upset people by saying that your lifestyle has brought on complications.
I am not saying this about T2 specifically!!!!!!!!
However, we shouldn't bury our head in the sand and look for a reason behind everything that absolves people of blame. Sometimes it is really as simple as living a sedentary lifestyle and eating too much of the wrong thing.