Originally Posted by
InfiniteRegress
Just curious, but do you think in the UK that people take better care of themselves because of the perception that they might not be able to get health care when they need it? Do you think there's a greater personal responsibility for maintaining good health?
I'm really interested in discussing this, but am conscious that we are introducing a diversion in the thread and bringing up a very sensitive topic that could lead to folk falling out - LOL.
I'll just answer the last point you made notwithstanding that the whole of your post is interesting and I would like to comment on it.
They all know that they WILL be able to get health care when they need it. There is NO restriction or rationing of treatment for acute conditions. If a fat guy collapses with a heart problem, he will be wisked off to hospital in minutes in an NHS ambulance and will receive whatever intensive or less demanding care he needs. He will pay nothing for any of it - even his food will be free. I live 600 metres from the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle which does heart transplants all the time.
http://www.newcastle-hospitals.org.u...als/index.aspxThe only limitation on the transplant numbers is that not enough people offer their hearts and lungs up. Where we do have rationing through waiting lists is for what are called 'elective procedures' - those that can be delayed without threatening life, such as joint replacements in the elderly. You can wait about 5 months for a hip operation. It used to be much worse, but now there are government targets which penalise hospitals with long waiting times. Look - I think our system is far from perfect, it is constantly in the news and under a lot of scrutiny, but nobody goes without and there is a massive amount of great treatment going on even though there are some failings too. Best of all maybe, nobody gets bankrupted or ends up in debt if they get sick.
I think people do take marginally better care of themselves here - the evidence is that we live a bit longer on average than you guys, but there are very big social class and regional differences. Scotland is the least healthy place in Western Europe with very high levels of obesity, heart disease, smoking related illness and diabetes. There are parts of the city of Glasgow where the life expectancy for males is 64 years. This is all lifestyle related: heavy drinking, heavy smoking, lack of exercise, and very bad diet.
The average life expectancy in males in the UK as a whole is 77 years and for females it is 82. My dad is 86 and is still pretty fit, if a bit absent minded. There are big differences within populations of different social class background. Better educated men and women live much longer than those in manual trades. They smoke much less, eat better and exercise more.
You are right about the health benefits of biking. There is a small risk you'll be squashed under a truck or a bus, but the exercise is likely to make you live longer if you don't end up squashed on the road.
