Health care debate shifts to new area: consumption

Some partially rational voices.

Good:

"While presidential candidates natter about health reforms that focus on insuring more Americans, a quiet but potentially very disruptive shift in defining the problem is under way in Washington."

Better:

"The new hypothesis would focus instead on volume. If less were done, cost pressures would ease. Fewer tests and operations would force spending down."

Even better:

"There's little we can do quickly about the demographic pattern, but consumption patterns are more amenable to change. Simply find out what works, Mr. Orszag argues, and make that the norm. Then stop doing all the things that don't work, increase costs and put patients at risk."

Best:

Stop paying for overweight/obesity, as they are not medical conditions, and make the overfat contribute to/pay for their diseases of choice.

Stop those who are preventing the fat from succeeding at weight loss.

Stop the bad weight loss advice.

See here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here, for starters.

Fit and fat, unite to fight.