HofT wrote:For the record: I smoke, and know that this increases the odds of getting lung cancer at some point. I also know that only about 14% of smokers will ever get lung cancer, and that I don't have a genetic predisposition, so my odds of getting it are less than 10%. If I had never smoked those odds would be closer to 0%.
I wish someone would explain why statistical evaluation is acceptable concerning cancers of the lung but not of the breast - if that's the argument here.
Hmmm - and your (and your fellow "wheezies") increased risk of costing the health system a great deal of money, because of your ALSO greatly increased risk of cardio-vascular disease, stroke, peripheral circulatory diseases - (leading to amputations, ulcers and other serious chronic problems), diabetes, blindness, multi-infarct dementia, emphysema, cancers such as breast cancer, bronchitis etc etc.
I have no idea where on earth your hatred for overweight people comes from Hoft - but you need most seriously to remove the beam from your own eye before lashing out at others in the way you have.
Many people are now wishing to deny smokers all sorts of health care - eg smokers may not have various kinds of surgery in many places - partly because of the highly increased risk of serious complications, caused by their compromised ability to oxygenate their cells, partly because statistics say that cost benefit analysis decrees that such surgery is not providing enough benefit for the cost. Do you support denial of health care to smokers? Shall you assault yourself and other smokers with such puzzling rabidness? Ought I to be posting photos of decaying ulcers, of lungs rotting, of the atheroma in smokers' arteries, of dying brains, of damaged babies, of amputations where the wound has broken down, and the flesh rotting?
Well, I won't - though I have seen all these things - in the flesh - as well as heard the terrible sounds of the smokers' "fruity productive cough" and prevented myself from gagging as they spit thick, infected mucous into their little cups as I talk with them.
I regard human frailty with as much compassion and understanding as I can - (often far too little) though smokers make me ill, since I get sinus infections, and, until recently, I have been unable to enter bars because of them - and I know what their habit is costing the nation.
Smokers are addicted, and humanly frail. I wonder if you have tried to stop and failed? Or are you a smoker in denial of the arithmetic?
I would never speak of them in the way you have spoken of overweight people. I wonder what is behind such emotion? But nemmind - it is none of my business. I wish it had never been made the business of anyone here to have to read.
Such words as you have placed here do not help the obese, nor would they assist smokers and alcoholics. Blame and vicious abuse do not motivate anyone to change. Information calmly given is reasonable - though it seems to have little effect on such ingrained habits.
Shall you also decry other high health risk groups - such as old people? People with unfortunate genetics? And how on earth did this thread get to such a horrible place?
Anyhoo - I wish Elizabeth Edwards well. And everyone else dealing with such sad news.
