Gov. Jan Brewer has now proposed levying a $50 fee on state Medicaid recipients who are obese and don't follow a doctor-supervised slimming regimen. She also wants to charge those who smoke.
The people, who will save the state of Arizona, are the poorest residents. If you earn less than $15,000 per year for a two-person family, you will be taxed for consuming what she considers too many calories or for smoking. The proposal is said to be a way to reward good behavior and raise awareness that certain conditions, including obesity, raise costs throughout the state Medicaid system.
A 2010 study of caloric intake in a large, nationwide population of children and adolescents revealed the surprising finding that those who are clinically overweight and obese consume fewer calories than their “healthy weight” counterparts, beginning at around seven years of age.
A paper published in the January issue of Nutrition Journal cites overwhelming evidence that focusing on weight loss as the only route to achieve a healthy life style is ineffective and harmful. .
NAAFA insists that Gov. Brewer withdraw her proposal. NAAFA urges the residents of Arizona to take action by writing to your state officials and insisting that this clearly biased proposal be stopped. Find their contact information at: http://www.azleg.gov/
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Founded in 1969, NAAFA is a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to ending size discrimination. Our goal is for people of size to be accepted with dignity and equality and will pursue this goal through advocacy, public education, and support.
