Alabama May Charge Some Workers for Being Obese

Posted to findingDulcinea by Lindsey Chapman

 

Starting in 2009, state workers for Alabama will be required to have a variety of medical screenings, including a Body Mass Index measurement. Those who are found to be obese will be given a year to lose weight, at which time those who are still obese will be required to pay an extra $25 a month extra for their health insurance.

Critics call the plan a “fat tax.” In a WebMD article, however, Deborah Unger, clinical director for the Alabama State Employees Insurance Board in Montgomery, said, “As long as you are aware and are doing something to correct it, there won’t be a fee. We either do something to control claims costs or you pay the premium anyway.” According to the Centers for Disease Control, Alabama currently has the second highest rate of obesity in the nation.

 

The culture of Alabama and the South make it difficult to eat a healthy diet, according to an editorial in the Miami Herald. “Everything is fried there, from grits to okra to mouth-watering chicken—and tea comes presweetened. This kind of food is fat-inducing, and it takes an iron will just to resist.”

Further, the paper also points out that obesity problems can be genetic. And people who aren’t overweight can have conditions associated with obesity, such as diabetes and high cholesterol. “If the concern is about poor health, why not focus on health issues instead of weight?” the paper asks.

“The obesity crisis is getting worse,” says Huffington Post blogger Jeffrey Levi. While health care reform often focuses on access to care and quality of care, Levi argues that “we’ve neglected to put a priority on preventing people from getting sick in the first place.”

 

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