Blatant Discrimination

I recently learned some surprising discrimination. A local committee part of the NHS in the UK has decided to institute what I call blatant discrimination.

"...one local health committee in the UK has announced a controversial policy "to support patients whose health is at risk from smoking or being very overweight."

For an indefinite amount of time, it plans to ban access to routine, or non-urgent, surgery under the National Health Service until patients "improve their health," the policy states, claiming that "exceptional clinical circumstances (will) be taken into account on a case-by-case basis."

The decision comes from the clinical commissioning group (known as a CCG) for the county of Hertfordshire, which has population of more than 1.1. million.

The time frame for improving health is set at nine months for the obese in particular; those with a body mass index over 40 must reduce the number by 15% over that time period, and those with a BMI over 30 are given a target of 10%.

The target for smokers is eight weeks or more without a cigarette -- with a breath test to prove it."

I could not believe this. Some 'holier than thou' sorts have clearly decided that they are better than those evil people who are overweight or smoke.

Look I was a smoker for far too many years to count. Its not an easy habit to quit. Smoking has been called more difficult to quit than heroin. It takes many people months or years and many tries to quit. Eight weeks to quit is a very tight deadline. And a breath test? Seriously? Like a breathalyzer?

I find the obesity one even more offensive. Is it my fault that I have managed to gain multiple pounds (so many that I find appalling) over the past twelve years? Is it because I have so many ailments? Is it because I am on so many medications with the side effect of 'may cause weight gain'? Is it because I like to make a nice dinner for my husband every night? 

Can I lose weight? With great difficulty. If I wasn't recovering from knee surgery I would regularly exercise. But that wasn't making me much thinner. Its very difficult for me to lose weight. And I am not the only person who has problems losing weight. There are many people with medical problems, metabolism issues, and more that would have to eat only lettuce leaves to lose weight. Some people just have a predisposition to being heavy.

Finally, the BMI is not a perfect measurement. There are many who disagree with it.

I cannot believe in this day and age, people in medical professions would blatantly discriminate against people who are fighting hard issues - quitting smoking or losing weight. And then denying them medical care based on these same issues. Well, at least I am not the only person who finds these policies horrible:

"The new policies came under immediate attack from experts and interest groups.

"Singling out patients in this way goes against the principles of the NHS," said Ian Eardley, senior vice president at the Royal College of Surgeons in the UK. "This goes against clinical guidance and leaves patients waiting long periods of time in pain and discomfort. It can even lead to worse outcomes following surgery in some cases."

The conversation has been going for some time, experts agree, but the question is the ethics -- and whether it would even work.

"Rationing treatment on the basis of unhealthy behaviors betrays an extraordinary naivety about what drives those behaviors," Robert West, professor of health psychology at the UCL Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, wrote in an email."

I am not alone but these are just blatant discrimination.