More Americans getting multiple chronic illnesses

Kudos, fatsos.

More abuse of the rest of us by you and your caloric irresponsibility.

"More Americans are burdened by chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure, often having more than three at a time, and this has helped fuel a big rise in out-of-pocket medical expenses, a study released on Tuesday showed.
With prescription drugs playing a key role, average annual out-of-pocket medical costs -- those not covered by health insurance -- rose from $427 per American in 1996 to $741 in 2005, researchers wrote in the journal Health Affairs...

A separate report published in the journal on Tuesday showed U.S. health care spending rose to $2.2 trillion in 2007, or $7,421 per person...

The rise in Americans with multiple chronic illnesses comes as obesity and sedentary lifestyles have grown more common. Obesity contributes to many chronic ailments including diabetes. U.S. health officials say the rate of new cases of diabetes soared by about 90 percent in the past decade."

And here is why we will remain burdened with no end in sight.

"President...Barack Obama [took] office on January 20 with plans to try to tackle the rising costs of the U.S. health care system, the world's most expensive. This study suggests that growing amounts of chronic illness may complicate his efforts."

They are going after the wrong culprit.

It is not the costs.

It is the system-abusing people who do not maintain their bodies, instead expecting the rest of us to pay for them.

They are driving up the costs.

Stop rewarding them with sick care subsidized by the rest of us and watch costs go south.

Fight back now or your opportunity will have passed.