BMI Hits Life Insurance

You will see more and more of this, and soon. From BusinessWeek.com -

"The Phoenix Cos. is one of the first insurers to offer discounts on life insurance to customers based on their body mass index ratio."

Cancer Prevention

I found this article in Men's Health especially informative for my age group. I hear more and more about inflammation and insulin levels. Apparently these are two of the main factors in aging and disease, cancer and diabetes in particular. Some of the suggestions are intuitive, but others, such as the benefits of small amounts of sun exposure, are not. I was also happy to read the corn with butter recommendation.

You're So Vain. I Bet You Think This Post is About You.

The internet seems to be feeding our appetites for the things we love the most, ourselves! I joked on my own MySpace page that my first "Interest" was myself (though that has been supplanted by my niece and nephew), and I originally had a headline of "Hey Everyone, Look at Me!" but I was apparently only half-kidding. Dale Carnegie, whom I mention regularly, writes in "How to Win Friends and Influence People" that one's name is "the sweetest and most important sound in any language".

The self-esteem movement that began in the 1980s in this country has seemingly turned into a monster. Read the article on MSNBC.

"Narcissism can have benefits, said study co-author W. Keith Campbell of the University of Georgia, suggesting it could be useful in meeting new people 'or auditioning on American Idol'.

"'Unfortunately, narcissism can also have very negative consequences for society, including the breakdown of close relationships with others,' he said.

"The study asserts that narcissists 'are more likely to have romantic relationships that are short-lived, at risk for infidelity, lack emotional warmth, and to exhibit game-playing, dishonesty, and over-controlling and violent behaviors.'"

What's the point, you might ask? Part of being a valuable member of society is the ability to get along with others. How can you live a fulfilling life if all you care about is yourself? If you become self-absorbed, you will lose your ability to empathise with others, and to solve problems and compromise. These societal failings no doubt lead to phenomena such as road rage and a rising divorce rate. A positive effect of the narcissistic trend, though, would hopefully be increased exercise and healthier eating. I am all for that.

Mmm, 2,000 Calories, 100 Grams of Fat, 3000 Milligrams of Sodium

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has published a list of "X-treme" meals. I agree that they could have just spelled the word normally. Anyway, they list some menu items from some popular restaurants that have failed thus far to provide nutrition information on their own. I guess they're waiting for the government to make them do it. Isn't that nice? [Cough cough, sarcasm]

We have aimed at Cheesecake Factory before, and they get a spot on this list as well. CSPI makes it clear why we're the fattest country on Earth; listing appetizers, entrees and desserts that carry a whole day's worth of calories, fat and sodium on their own. Here's CSPI's article.

I am reluctant to include the slide show from MSN Health & Fitness since the foods all look so delicious, but here it is.

Honey, I'll Be Right Back. Just Need to Grab Some Insurance.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida has opened its first retail insurance store
in Jacksonville.  Read the press release here.  I find this fascinating. 
I guess time will tell if this is a good move.

"Florida Blue is a place where consumers can go for easy access to
insurance products, health and health care information and to get their
service questions answered all under one roof," said Michael Guyette,
senior vice president, sales and account management for BCBSF.

"BCBSF has been very aggressive in developing the tools consumers need
to make educated and informed health care choices regarding their personal
health situation, as well as decisions concerning quality, access and
potential out- of-pocket costs," said Guyette.

"He cited the company's recent introduction of quarterly personalized
health reports, e-medicine capabilities, enhanced service and the CareCalc
patient cost calculator as additional examples of the company's foray into
the consumer-empowered retail market. Guyette added that Florida Blue will
be a success even if consumers do not sign up for BCBSF products on the
spot, because it will expose potential customers to BCBSF's extensive
portfolio of products and services in a no-pressure environment and
favorable way."

MQOTD

"The very first step to building wealth is to spend less than you make."

-Brian Koslow

Duh...I hadn't heard of the guy before being emailed this quote. It turns out he has a company called Breakthrough Coaching and he has some pretty good lines:

www.brainyquote.com

The Greatest Country in the World?

Well, I still think we are, but we've got a hell of a lot wrong with us.

"British, U.S. Kids Worst Off in Industrialized World, UN Says"

This is really quite shocking:

"The United States was last among the 21 countries for health and safety, measured by rates of infant mortality, low birth weight, immunization, and deaths from accidents and injuries.

Britain was last in the family and peer relationships ranking, which measured such things as the rate of single-parent families and whether families ate the main meal of the day together more than once a week.

Britain also finished at the bottom in behaviours and risks, which considered factors such as the percentage of children who ate breakfast, consumed fruit regularly, were overweight, used drugs or alcohol or were sexually active.

The United States was second last in both the family and peer, and the behaviours and risks categories."

What good is all of this prosperity if people aren't safe, healthy and happy?

Dude...

"'I’ve torn my ACL, chipped my front tooth, and had surgery – all without insurance,' said a local snowboarder who wished to remain anonymous. 'Now I have $400 a month automatically taken out of my paycheck because I have $40,000 worth of medical bills. I think I could have afforded health insurance.'"

Read the entire article on Planet Jackson Hole Online.

The importance of reviewing your insurance policy -

"Dawn Sheue at Summit Insurance Services believes that she can find affordable health care for most people in Jackson, especially the ski-toting yahoo. 'You have to know how to play the game,' she explained. 'Health insurance is not something you want to settle into because we never see [premium] rates decrease. That’s the reason we review our clients if not every year, every two years.'"

An important quality in an insurance broker (who works for the insured, rather than an agent, who works for the insurance company) -

"Sheue reviews her client’s premium rates this often to make sure they are getting the most affordable rate out there. 'My loyalty is not with the insurance company but with my client. You’re going to have to move from carrier to carrier every two to three years to get that introductory rate. And that’s how you win the game.'"

The reader comments of the article highlight a growing debate in this country surrounding personal versus shared responsibility. I'll tell you my own personal experience is affected. I play soccer once or twice a week and I am thinking about that high deductible insurance plan when I'm out there, believe you me.

Reader Comments

Come and Get It (and by "it", I mean communication, manners, nourishment, encouragement to try new things, better grades, saved money...)

Well, the author (a licensed dietician) doesn't propose how a family is to get over the many hurdles cited to scheduling family meals, but I don't remember that being an issue when I was growing up. We did eat later than most families (around 7:30, usually), but other than dinner time, when would a family even have a chance to learn what is going on in everyone's life? It certainly won't happen sitting in front of the boob tube together. According to A.C. Nielsen Co., Americans watch an average of 4 hours of television per day. How can the average American complain about not having enough time? After earning the money to pay for the meal, what could possibly be more important than spending time with one's family?

Read the list of benefits to a family that eats dinner together on SparkPeople.