Here's what I dont understand. But maybe since my "BMI" isn't ideal, maybe I'm a little biased. I'm not a fat apologist. I don't eat 10k calories a day. I don't weight 400lbs.
Hypothetical situation:
Say John is 40 years old. John is very obese, but is in otherwise good health. However John is able to hold his job down and has medical insurance.
Say Jack is also 40 years old and is in normal physical shape and is also in good health. Jack also has a job and medical insurance.
Both guys continue working for several more years, with their normal check-ups and maybe even a specialist visit or two. At 59, John (the obese guy) drops dead from a massive heart attack. John was still working at the time and his medical insurance takes care of most of his final medical bills.
Jack continues on working and retires 65 and eventually starts withdrawing social security and gets put on medicare. At 75, as a bunch of elderly people do, Jack starts getting sick alot. He spends some time in-and-out of hospitals and rehab facilities. He eventually dies at the age of 83.
Who really cost the taxpayers the most money?
John, who died of a heart attack caused by too many years of eating cheeseburgers and loaded fries that cause his arteries to clog up? John never took out medicare or social security.
Jack took out social security and medicare/medicaid, and spent a good part of the last years of his life being looked after by doctors, nurses, etc. Near/and End-of-life care for the elderly is some of the most expensive medical costs that can be had. I think one of the articles linked below said that 30% of all the medical costs that you'll acquire in your lifetime happen in the last year of your life.
http://www.reportingonhealth.org/2012/10...life-costs
http://circoutcomes.ahajournals.org/cont...2/127.full
Disclaimer*
I'm not saying fat folks shouldn't lose wait. Nor am I a proponent of "death panels" for the elderly. I'm just trying to say, dont believe the media hype that fat people are the cause of the countries medical cost problem.