Michael Buerk - Wtf is he thinking?

[Sparklfairy]

He never struck me as the type to come out with antagonistic Katie Hopkins-esque crap...

news.sky.com/story/michael-buerk-let-obese-people-die-early-to-save-nhs-money-11778620

Reading it again though I think he does have a point about the NHS. We're all a drain on resources in different ways, 'slim' people that live longer just as much as people who make unhealthier choices.

He's a Burk, says it all really.

Peanutbuttericecream

I don’t know... it’s not as Hopkins-esque as I’d expected.

He kind of has a point. Classifying obesity as a disease does seem bloody stupid. I have a lot of lung issues. Whenever I’m admitted into hospital, everyone else is a bloody chain smoker it seems. Literally deliberately ruining their lungs and being treated for the problems that then arise. But then what are they paying in tax? Possibly much more than me, because they’ll be paying income tax and whatever else, plus the tax on cigarettes - it’s kind of all swings and roundabouts.

He's just trying to be controversial. Watching him and John sergeant in their boat sailing from pub to pub I don't see why he says no NHS services for alcoholics. He's too afraid to say no health tourism so he can do one in a bucket

To say fat people are weak and not ill, makes a complex situation sound simple. It's also massively judgemental.

I've had cancer, I'm well now but one of the side effects of my treatment is the tendency to put on weight. I'm not weak, thank you Mr Buerk, neither am I ill. I'm not huge but I am overweight.

Why say shit like that though? It's not like he needs the pr (unless he's launching a book I don't know about) so I don't get the mentality of deliberately saying something that will just make people go, 'yep. You're an arse.'

I’d argue that he’s NOT thinking.

He’s as susceptible to negativity same as anyone else.

The recent Cancer Research campaign about Obesity hasn’t helped and they were wrong....but their campaign was run in association with....Slimming World!

Obesity is a symptom of other things and does not on its own cause cancer.

So we have that campaign and outspoken and misguided people feel they have a god given right to begin mouthing off,

One of my friends is overweight....she also runs marathons and could give gobby Michael a run for his money.

But who cares about people who are overweight, fit and healthy when you can just go straight to the “lazy fat person” belief.

Literally deliberately ruining their lungs

@theWarOnPeace apologies but this use of the word literally really bugs me. They are not deliberately ruining their lungs, literally or otherwise.

OP, I think Mr Buerk is just another of those old people who can't quite grasp that life is more complicated than just saying "OK, I'll live a completely healthy lifestyle from now on".

He's probably from a privileged background too and can't understand why people have a poor education or are poor, a surely they should just work harder type of guy.

We need some answers for the NHS for sure but this answer lacks intelligence and demonises people who in disproportionate numbers are from a poor and uneducated background.

Peanut i hope you are better now

Id quite like him to explain why nursing homes have been caught giving food like chicken nuggets and limp ham to residents if healthy food is cheaper.

Over privileged berk.

Where do you stop?

No free treatment for sports people with sports related injuries.
No free treatment for smokers.
No free treatment for drug addicts.
No free treatment for pregnancy complications (thats a choice folks).
No free treatment for those involved in car accidents as passengers or drivers (thats a choice).

I cost the NHS an eyewatering fortune, one of my drugs costs £117 per week and will do for life. I take 8 other drugs daily.

However, I won't ever fall off a horse and need a 30K spinal operation.
I won't develop lung cancer from smoking.
You won't find me needing reconstructive knee surgery due to sports injuries.
I won't be needing treatment for renal failure due to alcohol abuse.

When we start to say 'this person can have/that person cannot have' we go down a very slippery slope indeed.

Disabled people cost a fortune, lets not treat them, lets leave them to die in a corner, they aren't fit enough to survive... it's not a long way to that sort of thinking once you start!

One of my friends is overweight....she also runs marathons and could give gobby Michael a run for his money

Are you saying that obesity isn't a valid problem to be concerned about because you know an overweight person who can run? That's bonkers, you only need to look around to see how big an issue it is, no pun intended, it's absolutely something that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later

Me and my steroids could give the tosser a good debate...

Have you seen the whole interview?
Please don't be an arse and take the clippings from an article written by someone who obviously has an agenda to get as many clicks as possible? Some of his comments are tongue in cheek but at the heart of it, is an important question.
With a rising and aging population, how can the NHS continue as it currently is. Hard choices need to be made, other wise everyone suffers. We could tax everyone more, but that would cause riots, including those complaining the NHS is going downhill.
Sometimes (not always) health issues can be a life choice, if I choose to smoke or eat to much or drink to much or consume unhealthy food, then should I be treated the same as someone who hasn't?

Beurk by name, total fucking beurk by nature!

The NHS is free at point of entry for all. If you starting putting in barriers based on what someone considers 'OK' then where does it stop?

No healthcare if you ever drink a glass of wine?
No healthcare if you eat a lot of meat?
No healthcare if you play risky sports?

The NHS isnt just for healthy people, or those we feel 'deserve' it.

Obese people are already dying because medical practitioners demonize and do not take them seriously. I could weep at the stories of GPs sending women away because they blame everything on fatness and do not investigate the problem only for them later to die.

Cheeseandwin5 posting a link to an article even though I couldn't get the video to play on my phone doesn't make me an arse.

The NHS issues you raised are more complex than that. I'm a smoker and pay huge taxes on cigarettes (rightly so). The sugar tax also means that 'unhealthy' food is no longer always the cheapest option.

However, the point is that we have no idea where this tax goes. I strongly suspect the NHS never see it.

DuckWillow EXACTLY!

To be fair you don't see many old obese people though so maybe it's a moot point.

However, the point is that we have no idea where this tax goes

I thought the sugar tax was ringfenced for healthy schools, I don't know who checks up on this but we do know where it (should) go

The best comment I ever heard about obesity was
""No-one wakes up in the morning and says 'Today I want to be fat!'

Obesity isn't a freely-made choice. It's something that happens as a result of things that happen, options you have or don't have, how well you can or cannot cope with your life.

Doesn't even make sense, is he looking for attention? Of course it brings up the same argument for alcohol, drugs, etc as already stated. Makes him sound like an ignorant twat.

Me and DS were discussing this and he pointed out that it depends whether one considers obesity a choice or a disease.
I honestly don't know where I stand on it - I have a friend who is very obese and wonder if it't genetic or not?

Isn't his point that we should leave fat people alone and stop trying to get them to lose weight (so they can die and not burden the NHS) rather than that we should make them pay for the NHS?

He hasn't said obese people don't deserve treatment. He said if they die early that represents a saving to the NHS for future care such as dementia etc, and he questions of long life should be the highest priority.

I don't think he said anything particularly controversial but inevitably it's been spun and social media is kicking off.

If alcoholism is considered a disease as are other addictions, it seems strange not to extend this to 'food addiction'. You can get horrific withdrawal symptoms from cutting out sugar/carbs etc at first. They both cause your blood sugar to spike and crash leading to a vicious cycle. People frequently post here about eating in secret, having salad in public to keep up appearances and then binge later, feeling guilty after over indulging...

Obviously doesn't apply to everyone but I don't see much difference between that and an alcoholic.