Most Americans Want Public Policies to Prevent Obesity

I actually agree with you on the drinkers part (alcoholics or heavy drinkers at any rate). Fast drivers? Rock climbers? No - these type of people may have a one off incident that requires attention but not ongoing medical treatment. I do believe we should deny some medical treatment to those who choose lifestyles [which have no social benefit (unlike your miners)] that will increase the chance of health problems dramatically. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks like this.

Fair point. I'll just have to try to live the best I can and hope for the best.

 

Read the same article, constructacon - and, (I'm probably going to go to hell for saying this) I agree to a point.

*sighs* A mother - who used to volunteer at the same school I did. She was a smoker. She got throat cancer, she can't speak properly because they had to remove 3/4 of her tongue. She vomited every day for the better part of two years, all her hair fell out thanks to the chemotherapy... and now that all her surgery and chemo are gone, she STILL smokes cigarettes.

Introducing a fat-tax I doubt will fix anything. All it will be is another source of revenue for a government in trouble.

People wouldn't want to give the government more so next thing they know, they've got all these other health problems in their health care system from people going on fad diets, or crash dieting, or simply not eating at all.
The theory of relativity continues.. for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.