weighing down the system

mood: whatever.
state i'm in: trashed room.
tune: jamie cullum "mind trick (johnny douglas remix).


this week's case concerns a fictitious man with a BMI of over 40, that is, he is morbidly obese, who suffers a DVT which embolises to his lungs causing further problems there. obesity is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in this country, and is associated with nearly everything that causes more. obesity and overweight cost australia somewhere in the vicinity of $11 billion annually.

it got me thinking...


your at a dinner party. food's great, pretty rich but that's ok, cos you've been exercising all week. there's plenty of moet flowing freely, and everyone is having a great laugh.

the main course is cleared from the table.

the tobacco-stinking guest to your left says: "ok, while i've got a minute i might just duck out to the balcony for a cigarette." if you're a bit of an arsehole like me you might have a somewhat sarcastic dig at him, although with a serious undertone, something along the lines of "you're killing yourself with those cancer sticks, and costing the health system a fortune". i normally than follow melodramatically with the line "have you ever head the lungs of a smoker in your hand, filthy and black..?" (after a bit of scorn, this is one of my favourite things to say to people when they ask me if i have a cigarette.)

a minute later, dessert arrives, something involving layers of chocolate, a healthy dose of cream, and perhaps some sort of berry and sugar based thing stuck on top.

the obese guest to your right says: "alright, this is my favourite part, i've been waiting for this" and reaches out to grab the bowl of calories from the host with a gleeful eye, licking her lips. what would the table's response be if i said to her, "i can't believe you, you're killing yourself, and costing the health system a fortune". i might continue: "have you ever held an obese persons heart in your hands, oversized and covered in a layer of yellowish slimy fat..?"


food for thought.