A Preventative Healthcare, BMI-driven, universal benefit

[icehorse]

How about something like this (I'm sure the details aren't quite correct):

We give EVERYONE (in the U.S.), a "vegetable" card as long as they keep their BMI below a certain age-sex appropriate level. For those of us who do so, our "veggie card" is worth $10 of organic root veggies / week and $10 of organic greens / week. This would cost the US about 200-300 billion / year, but my guess is that it would reduce our healthcare costs by much more than that.

It would also encourage growing organically and reducing pesticide use.

 

[Jeremiahcp]

If everyone had health care they could get regular checks up and catch problems before they turn into something more serious and costly. And the doctors could harp on them about eating right.

 

[peter22]

Encouraging people to cut down on the snacks and booze and go for a walk now and again would be a cheaper strategy.

 

[Falvlun]

The people who most needed the free veggies wouldn't be getting them in this scenario.

 

[columbus]

For those of us who do so, our "veggie card" is worth $10 of organic root veggies / week and $10 of organic greens / week.

How about, instead of adding another government entitlement, we stop subsidizing the corn, soy, and wheat and such?
Tom

 

[ADigitalArtist]

How about, instead of adding another government entitlement, we stop subsidizing the corn, soy, and wheat and such?
Tom

And dairy products. Man the government spends a lot of money, including bailouts, for the dairy industry.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I would vote no, for several reasons. Firstly because the people who really don't care about living healthy won't find free veggies a motivator, and those who do really care but are struggling wouldn't benefit at all from this. Secondly because BMI is bs. My actual muscle mass to fat ratio is in the healthy range but because I have far more muscle than average for my age and height, it reads as obese. This would would mean only lean healthy people would get the benefit. Thirdly because it would create a lot of unnecessary beurocratic expense. Who will be in charge of implementing and enforcing policy? Who will be doing the weighing? Will periodic updates be required? Who is paying for it? How will payout occur? To the farms, groceries, like specific food stamps?
I'd rather the money and manpower go towards health professionals and patients to utilize diet and exercise changes to treat and prevent existing problems. Insurances to be required to cover nutritionist visits, maybe even a few personal training sessions or health classes. Things of that nature.

 

[sun rise]

In a rational universe, preventative food and exercise would automatically be part of people's lives. Given the world we live in, the current system which rewards gigantic corporations for even non-food they grow is insane and at least should be stopped.

 

[Augustus]

How about something like this (I'm sure the details aren't quite correct):

We give EVERYONE (in the U.S.), a "vegetable" card as long as they keep their BMI below a certain age-sex appropriate level. For those of us who do so, our "veggie card" is worth $10 of organic root veggies / week and $10 of organic greens / week. This would cost the US about 200-300 billion / year, but my guess is that it would reduce our healthcare costs by much more than that.

it would also encourage growing organically and reducing pesticide use.

In theory it's a good idea, but it would have very little effect as human motivations are not really rational in that way. It might have some effect on some borderline people who really need an extra $20 per week, it's unlikely to make a difference for anyone else though.

The cost of regulating such a programme would also be significant.

 

[Twilight Hue]

How about something like this (I'm sure the details aren't quite correct):

We give EVERYONE (in the U.S.), a "vegetable" card as long as they keep their BMI below a certain age-sex appropriate level. For those of us who do so, our "veggie card" is worth $10 of organic root veggies / week and $10 of organic greens / week. This would cost the US about 200-300 billion / year, but my guess is that it would reduce our healthcare costs by much more than that.

It would also encourage growing organically and reducing pesticide use.

I like the idea, yet it's best served "pun" through promotional means via sponsorship through stores and growers.

The problem lay with veggies being intentionally overpriced and privy to gouging as compared to it's junk counterparts concidering that's the in market trend now. Veggies and healthy foods used to be actually cheap and affordable.

 

[Nous]

I'd say the better proposal is to not only eliminate the enormous subsidies given to producers of animal products, but to tax the sale of animal products based on their detrimental effects on environment and climate (due to GHG emissions, including land use/land change).

 

[Quagmire]

That's what I want: a government that tells me to eat my vegetables.

 

[icehorse]

The people who most needed the free veggies wouldn't be getting them in this scenario.

why not? that was a big part of the proposal

 

[icehorse]

How about, instead of adding another government entitlement, we stop subsidizing the corn, soy, and wheat and such?
Tom

and @ADigitalArtist

how about both? because I agree with your subsidy-reduction orientation

 

[icehorse]

A well known horse training principle is:

"make the right things easy and the wrong things hard".

So the recurring idea of removing subsidies strikes me as a great orientation. If we did so, a pound of beef would cost maybe $25-30 pound. That would be a good thing.

Part of the problem with so much of the crappy food you can buy is that it's convenient. Cooking veggies is not convenient. So the question becomes, how do you make it easy (or easier), for folks to do the right thing and eat their veggies?

 

[Falvlun]

why not? that was a big part of the proposal

The way I understood your proposal was that those with an appropriate BMI would get the free veggie subsidy, and those with unacceptable BMI would not. But people with unacceptable BMIs probably need a veggie subsidy more since it would encourage them to eat heathier and bring their BMI down.

 

[icehorse]

The way I understood your proposal was that those with an appropriate BMI would get the free veggie subsidy, and those with unacceptable BMI would not. But people with unacceptable BMIs probably need a veggie subsidy more since it would encourage them to eat heathier and bring their BMI down.

ah got it - well the idea would be to phase it in. and then to incent people to eat better.