Comments on: Hits & Misses #3 – 2009/6/23 http://healthblog.ncpa.org/hits-misses-3-2009623/ Health Care Policy and Reform Insights | NCPA Thu, 24 May 2012 02:53:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: John R. Graham http://healthblog.ncpa.org/hits-misses-3-2009623/comment-page-1/#comment-43437 John R. Graham Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:06:22 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=3996#comment-43437 And yet, we take it seriously when they survey the same people about the so-called "public option", or whether they think insurers should be forbidden from charging higher premiums or excluding "pre-existing conditions" (i.e. selling actual insurance), or whether they'd pay an extra $500 a year in taxes to "cover every American" (although it would cost a multiple of that to even approach "universal" coverage to the standard we have today). And yet, we take it seriously when they survey the same people about the so-called “public option”, or whether they think insurers should be forbidden from charging higher premiums or excluding “pre-existing conditions” (i.e. selling actual insurance), or whether they’d pay an extra $500 a year in taxes to “cover every American” (although it would cost a multiple of that to even approach “universal” coverage to the standard we have today).

]]> By: Linda Gorman http://healthblog.ncpa.org/hits-misses-3-2009623/comment-page-1/#comment-43431 Linda Gorman Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:23:46 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=3996#comment-43431 Nobody knows what the ideal BMI is. That said, this finding that chubbiness is associated with lower morbidity and mortality is not an isolated one. For example, overweight and obese patients on dialysis and with heart failure appear to have better survival rates. However, obesity may also reduce one's odds of surviving certain medical procedures so the answer, as the researchers say, is not clear. To add to the confusion, in the US, the distribution of weight for children apparently stablized after 2003/2004. Whatever the cause of the shift was, it doesn't appear to have been fast food or vending machine snacks in schools. Nobody knows what the ideal BMI is. That said, this finding that chubbiness is associated with lower morbidity and mortality is not an isolated one. For example, overweight and obese patients on dialysis and with heart failure appear to have better survival rates. However, obesity may also reduce one’s odds of surviving certain medical procedures so the answer, as the researchers say, is not clear.

To add to the confusion, in the US, the distribution of weight for children apparently stablized after 2003/2004. Whatever the cause of the shift was, it doesn’t appear to have been fast food or vending machine snacks in schools.

]]> By: Bart http://healthblog.ncpa.org/hits-misses-3-2009623/comment-page-1/#comment-43424 Bart Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:20:16 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=3996#comment-43424 The study supposedly corrects for smoking and health status. But still it's only showing correlation and not causation. The same as most such studies. That said, what's the ideal BMI? Above or below 25? The study supposedly corrects for smoking and health status. But still it’s only showing correlation and not causation. The same as most such studies. That said, what’s the ideal BMI? Above or below 25?

]]> By: Bret http://healthblog.ncpa.org/hits-misses-3-2009623/comment-page-1/#comment-43421 Bret Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:09:13 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=3996#comment-43421 Let's not forget the rat studies -- showing that substntially reduced intake of food prolonged life. Let’s not forget the rat studies — showing that substntially reduced intake of food prolonged life.

]]> By: Ken http://healthblog.ncpa.org/hits-misses-3-2009623/comment-page-1/#comment-43420 Ken Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:06:36 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=3996#comment-43420 Glad to see a study favorable to chubbiness. But can we generalize from the Japanese to everyone else? Glad to see a study favorable to chubbiness. But can we generalize from the Japanese to everyone else?

]]> By: Devon Herrick http://healthblog.ncpa.org/hits-misses-3-2009623/comment-page-1/#comment-43419 Devon Herrick Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:06:02 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=3996#comment-43419 The Japanese study that found chubby people outlive skinny people reminds me of an earlier study that found people who attend church regularly live longer than those who do not. This sounds evocative until you consider that people in failing health are frail and may not have the strength to attend church. In this regard regular church attendance is a proxy for health status. Likewise, weight loss and being extremely underweight can be thought of as a proxy for frailty or failing health. The Japanese study that found chubby people outlive skinny people reminds me of an earlier study that found people who attend church regularly live longer than those who do not. This sounds evocative until you consider that people in failing health are frail and may not have the strength to attend church. In this regard regular church attendance is a proxy for health status. Likewise, weight loss and being extremely underweight can be thought of as a proxy for frailty or failing health.

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