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Speak Up: Are You OK With an Obesity Fee?
New reports are claiming that by January 2010, state employees in Alabama will be charged $25 per month for insurance (that's normally free to state workers) if they have a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or greater or if they are not making any process in slimming down — though how the progress will be measured is still being determined. This comes after insurance companies are finding that obese folks incur more medical costs over the course of a year than those who are not overweight.
Granted, Alabama is second only to Mississippi for having the most obese population in the country, but how do you feel about it?
Do You Have Health Insurance?
I just read that the state of Oregon is having a lottery for health insurance. More than 80,000 people of Oregon's 600,000 uninsured have signed up for the few thousand openings in their state run insurance program. I must say when I read this I was shocked and a little dismayed – has our health insurance, and thereby our health, just come down to luck?
Work Out or Pay the Price (Literally)
Health care costs a fortune and instead of waiting for officials to make changes, companies such as Des Moines-based Principal Financial Group (PFG), are taking matters into their own hands. What's their idea? They plan on charging less-than-healthy employees higher fees for their health care.
Other Search Results
DrSugar Answers: IBS Treatment With No Health Insurance?
DrSugar is in the house and answering your questions.
Dear DrSugar,
I'm pretty positive I have Irritable Bowl Syndrome. Are there any things you can do to treat it without going to see a doctor?
Look on the Sunny Side of Life For Heart Health
Having a positive attitude is how underdog sports teams come from behind to cinch victory. It makes for exciting games, but a positive attitude is also important for your personal health — it fights heart disease. New research from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center found that seeing the glass half full appears to protect the heart against disease and death, and conversely pessimism increases the risk of heart disease.
Another Reason to Exercise: Keep Down Healthcare Costs
In these lean times, with layoffs that can often translate to losing health insurance, staying physically active can help you lower your health budget. According to the World Health Organization, physically active people save about $500 annually in healthcare expenses.These days every penny counts, so get out there and go for a walk or run. Or try a little gardening, it can be surprisingly physical.
Ditch the Gym and Go Extreme With Parkour
With the price of gym memberships rising, we're all looking for a less expensive way to burn calories and stay fit. Instead of putting your foot down and refusing to pay, put that foot to good use and practice Parkour —your fitness props become the things around you like benches, railings, trees, walls, stairs, and fences. This extreme sport involves leaping over, climbing up, and rolling off theses common structures and using them as your playground, all without any protective gear.
Weight control and diet
In This Report- Highlights
- Introduction
- Biological and Medical Caus...
- Cultural and Emotional Caus...
- Risk Factors
- Complications
- Weight Loss and Maintenance...
- Weight Management
- Medications
- Other Treatments
- Resources
- References
- Cancer prevention guidelines from the American Cancer Society stress the importance of maintaining a healthy weight throughout life. A healthy weight is even more important than eating specific healthy foods, when it comes to cancer prevention.
- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to buy a product known as the "Brazilian diet pill." This product is labeled as a dietary supplement, but contains several chemicals found in powerful prescription drugs.
Smoking
In This Report- Highlights
- Introduction
- Nicotine Addiction
- Health Risks
- Secondhand Smoke
- Smoking Bans
- Quitting Smoking
- Symptoms of Withdrawal
- Failure to Quit
- Lifestyle Changes
- Resources
- References
- Smoking may worsen knee osteoarthritis in men. A study published in the Annals of Rheumatic Disease found that male smokers have more pain and cartilage loss than men who do not smoke. Previous studies have not found such a link.
- Smoking greatly increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration.
Stress
In This Report- Highlights
- Introduction
- The Body's Response
- Complications
- Conditions with Similar Sym...
- Treatment
- Risk Factors
- Lifestyle Changes
- Resources
- References
- Some people are pre-programmed for a heightened response to stress by conditions in the womb. Pregnant women under stress who eat a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates have babies with higher cortisol levels. Later on, these levels increase in response to stress.
- The impact of stress on the heart and circulation system is becoming more clear.
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