Britain's obesity crisis: NHS spending £16m a year on 200 who are too fat to leave home

30 May 2012

Obesity is an epidemic in the UK, over half of all British people are now so fat they are considered overweight or obese. This costs the NHS more than £4billion a year. There are at least 200 people, who are so obese that it costs the NHS £16million a year for medical help. Some of the costs made are, four visits a day by health workers, fire fighters who had to spent eight hours to free a woman from her bedroom, teenager Georgia Davis who had to have an operation involving 40 emergency workers and expensive gastric bypasses. But the real figure is more than likely much higher because an unknown number are supported by the social care system rather than the clinics and hospitals who record weight data.

It is shocking to read that over half of the British people are getting so fat. They just do not care about their health and risking their life for food. I think it is terrible that it costs the society so much money because they cannot control themselves and get back into shape again. They should pay these expenses themselves maybe it will frighten them and think twice before stuffing themselves. Most of all I think it is terrible that young children are also getting obese. The parents should be ashamed of themselves for neglecting their children. They depend on their parents to be healthy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2151962/Britains-obesity-crisis-NHS-spending-16m-year-200-fat-leave-home.html

Shock report: cuts to have a 'catastrophic' effect on child poverty

30 May 2012

In 2008 Labour had great success, they achieved on of the largest reduction in child poverty by providing tax credits, cash transfers and accessible public services. Britain did better in protecting children than many other rich countries. Unicef warns that the Coalition's cuts to tax credits and freeze on child benefit will reverse this progress. The number of children living in poverty will increase. The government are putting these children at risk, their health and education and eventually chances of employment. One solution the government is taking is extending the provision of 15 hours of free childcare each week.

I think it is great the Labour party had such a success in protecting children. It is awful that during this crisis the government decided to cut on child benefits. Children are vulnerable and must be protected. The government need to find other ways to economize. They also must not give the money to the parents directly because many of them misuse this money. There have to be other ways to get the children what they deserve, like free clothes and free school meals.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/shock-report-cuts-to-have-a-catastrophic-effect-on-child-poverty-7801016.html

Women over 40 to get free fertility treatment as NHS lifts age limit (Speakers’ Corner)

19 May 20, 2012

The current guidance is that the NHS should not provide IVF to women over the age of 39. This age will be extended by three years following advice that suggests many women in their late 30s and early 40s could conceive after treatment. Now couples must have been trying unsuccessfully for a baby for three years before being considered for NHS treatment. With the new recommendations couples can have free IVF after two years. Apparently these changes have come to avoid the threat of being sued under new age discrimination laws.

Like the article says, women should start families in their late 20s or early 30s. Because children born to women over 40 are more likely to have abnormalities, and mothers are more likely to have problems during labour. Also nearly half of all these pregnancies result in miscarriage. The message the NHS sends out is wrong, women think they have time enough to have children, so they want to wait for Mr Perfect or make a career first. However nature does not agree and they cannot get pregnant and need IVF. This all causes a lot of disappointment, mental pain, divorces and it costs other people money.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2146931/Women-40-free-fertility-treatment-NHS-lifts-age-limit.html

 

David Cameron defends 'make up or break up' euro warning

17 May 2012

Greece’s inability to form a government being able to carry out cuts, is not a secret anymore after the last elections. The Eurozone is in crisis and everyone wants to prevent the break-up of the Eurozone, because it affects all the countries in Europe. It is important that the European union takes a decision, to either help Greece or to lose them. If they wait too long to make a decision the crisis will spread. In case this happens the National Security Council has made contingency plans to safeguard Britain. Whatever happens with Greece, Britain took steps to secure a stable economy and financial system.

The solution to the crisis in Greece affects everyone. If Greece stays in the Eurozone it will cost a lot of money again and we have to hope and trust they keep their promise to economize. They have broken their promise before so there will be no trust. If Greece steps out of the Eurozone, everybody will lose the money they lend to Greece and Greece go into a deeper crisis. I think they must leave the Eurozone because the people in Greece do not want to economize and expect us to give them money. If they do not want to fight for their country, why should we.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18098505

Blood for money? We need more of an incentive to donate

7 May 2012

This summer with the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee ahead, the UK expects 1.2 million tourist visiting this summer. Therefore the NHS called for help, because there are not enough blood and plasma donors. The NHS says the stocks need to be 30 per cent higher to be adequate for so many people. Only four per cent in the UK is a donor and there is more need for donors. Campaigning is not enough to attract new donors and therefore a discussion is going on whether people should be paid for donating blood or plasma.

When people donate blood or plasma it is out of kindness and this is the way it should be. The article also talks about America where people get paid to donate. Most of the donors are poor and sometimes homeless and to get the money they are not always honest. Honesty is important for the health of the patients, because when donors do not fill in the health form honesty the patient is at risk. That is why I think donation of blood and plasma must not be paid. To avoid uncertainty there also must be no other compensation whatsoever.

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/07/blood-for-money-we-need-more-of-an-incentive-to-donate/

Religious butchering now commonplace in Britain, leading vet claims

5 May 2012

According to English and European law, animals have to be stunned before they get slaughtered. Only in religious communities it is allowed to cut animals throats if the animals are not "unnecessary suffering." But nowadays a quarter of all the meat on the British market is killed according the non-stun Halal principle, while only three to four per cent is Muslim. This means that some slaughterhouses do not stun animals just to cut costs, rather than for religious reasons. This results in the fact that an estimate two millions animals die in significant pain and distress and this is unacceptable.

I think it is horrible how these animals must suffer before they die. These animals are helpless and cannot stand up for their rights. That is why it is the duty of the government to help animals not to suffer. The only way to solve this problem is to forbid slaughter without stunning. There must be no exceptions to this rule to prevent inaudibility. Therefore the people who are pro non-stun Halal slaughtering must be educated, then they maybe feel empathy for the animals. I think people who still do this are sadistic, criminal and deserved to be punished.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/9245850/Religious-butchering-now-commonplace-in-Britain-leading-vet-claims.html