Head of the British Medical Association, Dr. Hamish Meldrum, has caused quite a stir across the pond. Maybe more interesting, however, than the information about the obesity debate that rages on in the UK and the good ol' US of A, is the fact that Hamish Meldrum is a Scottish name. That's incredible!
Anyway, the point is that Dr. Meldrum has come out in opposition to all of the over-medicalization (I guess that's a word in England. Whatever, they invented the language, even if they don't pronounce their r's.) of obesity treatment, and that prevention is clearly the ideal method of lessening that societal problem and the costs associated with it. Duh. We don't need MD's to figure that one out, do we?
Read the article here on "This is London".
I often find the readers' comments sections of online articles to be the most educational part of the experience. That is one of the many reasons that online media are more effective than print. You can't read a newspaper and instantly read how other people around the world are reacting to it. What an age in which we live...
Here is one such comment that I found to be especially poignant, especially given the European perspective it allows us to understand, and the struggle among proponents of healthcare reform, i.e. everyone -
"This is the problem with socialized medicine. Free individuals should have every right to make these "lifestyle choices" assuming any associated risks - including dying early or higher medical expenses. But when government provides healthcare for all, it is going to seek to constrain the rights of individuals in the name of the greater good."
- Jude, london, uk
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