Charlotte MD Suggests Higher Premiums for People with Obesity

In a story that aired on CBS local news in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dr. John Cleek, medical director for Carolinas Weight Management and Wellness, suggested that people with obesity put an undue burden on the healthcare system in the US and as a result should be forced to pay greater premiums for healthcare. Ted Kyle, volunteer chair of Advocacy Committee of the Obesity Society, who was also interviewed said charging people with obesity more for healthcare premiums would be like rewarding people who did nothing more than have the luck to be born with good genes. According to Kyle, “Incentives are great if they focus on healthy behaviors. They are not productive, however, if they are focused on rigid biological goals, because everyone’s biologies are so different.” You can read the whole story here.