3 ms·

would love to see a cross reference with obesity rates and other negative health behaviors. CP is an odd one because it can afflict you greatly or little, but i

would love to see a cross reference with obesity rates and other negative health behaviors. CP is an odd one because it can afflict you greatly or little, but it still is life altering. Comparing similar to non permanent issues is a bit unfair to those who had no choice in how their life was. anecdotal, the obesity numbers interest me because two relatives in a Midwestern state both are on SSID from obesity related issues.

wyager 10y ago
> both are on SSID from obesity related issues. It's remarkable to me that people can collect SSID from diseases that are preventable without even needing medical treatment. That seems... wrong. As someone who's gone through substantial weight loss before, I know it's challenging, but at the very least the government should require people getting SSI for obesity-related issues to go to food addiction counseling or something.
- tyingq 10y ago
  Obesity itself isn't an allowable condition (it was, but then was later removed). I assume they are getting approved through potentially related problems like diabetes, back pain, etc. Probably too slippery a slope to automatically decline based on BMI. I suppose your idea of education makes sense though.
- samedi8 10y ago
  This is true but I think a lot of obesity issues in this country, especially among the poor, are in large part due to the strange way food is subsidized. It is just cheaper to eat badly and while exercise and what not obviously matters the quality of affordable food is just very very low with large amounts of sugar and sodium making obesity and diet based diseases a lot more common.
- discardorama 10y ago
  SSDI eligibility is based on not where you can do a job or not; but whether you can do a job that's available locally or not.
- cm2012 10y ago
  Eh. Most research shows that only 10% of people succeed in losing weight in the long term once they are morbidly obese. The only thing that seems to work is bariatric surgery.
- rsync 10y ago
  "It's remarkable to me that people can collect SSID from diseases that are preventable without even needing medical treatment. That seems... wrong." You might be interested to learn that in the United States, recipients of food benefits (food stamps) can use those benefits to buy things like soft drinks and candy bars.

wyager 10y ago

> both are on SSID from obesity related issues. It's remarkable to me that people can collect SSID from diseases that are preventable without even needing medical treatment. That seems... wrong. As someone who's gone through substantial weight loss before, I know it's challenging, but at the very least the government should require people getting SSI for obesity-related issues to go to food addiction counseling or something.

tyingq 10y ago
Obesity itself isn't an allowable condition (it was, but then was later removed). I assume they are getting approved through potentially related problems like diabetes, back pain, etc. Probably too slippery a slope to automatically decline based on BMI. I suppose your idea of education makes sense though.
samedi8 10y ago
This is true but I think a lot of obesity issues in this country, especially among the poor, are in large part due to the strange way food is subsidized. It is just cheaper to eat badly and while exercise and what not obviously matters the quality of affordable food is just very very low with large amounts of sugar and sodium making obesity and diet based diseases a lot more common.
discardorama 10y ago
SSDI eligibility is based on not where you can do a job or not; but whether you can do a job that's available locally or not.
cm2012 10y ago
Eh. Most research shows that only 10% of people succeed in losing weight in the long term once they are morbidly obese. The only thing that seems to work is bariatric surgery.
rsync 10y ago
"It's remarkable to me that people can collect SSID from diseases that are preventable without even needing medical treatment. That seems... wrong." You might be interested to learn that in the United States, recipients of food benefits (food stamps) can use those benefits to buy things like soft drinks and candy bars.