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Idaho
Lawmaker Takes Aim at Obesity Mon Feb 23, 8:44 AM ET By CHUCK OXLEY,
Associated Press Writer BOISE, Idaho - A Boise lawmaker is
taking aim at the rotund again this year with another bellyful of anti-fat
legislation. For the past few years, Rep. Margaret
Henbest of Boise has taken a Quixotic charge at obesity, urging fellow lawmakers
to not only pass bills that help people lose weight, but also to lose it
themselves. Last year, as part of a House-wide
contest, Henbest installed a scale in the hallway of the House chamber so
lawmakers could get a quick check of their weight, or at least be reminded to go
easy in the lunchroom. As a nurse practitioner when the
Legislature is not in session, Henbest said her mission isn't just to help
people look and feel better. It comes down to public dollars being spent
needlessly on terrible health complications that stem directly from obesity, she
said. "This is a looming social
problem from a health care standpoint," Henbest said. "There are more
people with diabetes, more people with heart disease — many of them will be
consuming public dollars. "The more people we prevent from
going down that road, the more will become less of a financial burden on the
state," she said. This year, Henbest is pushing two
bills in the House Business Committee which, taken together, present a
carrot-and-stick approach. One piece of legislation would allow
insurance companies to offer discounts of up to 20 percent for people who meet
weight standards or adhere to a recommended schedule for regular physicals. A separate piece would make health
insurance companies pay for weight reduction plans for people who are
"morbidly obese," defined as at least two times the ideal weight for
their frame, age, height and gender. House Business Committee Chairman Max
Black said the bills are unacceptable as written and should first be vetted by
the Health Care Task Force. Black doesn't mind the idea of fighting obesity, but
he also doesn't like the requirements Henbest's bill puts on insurance
companies. "It goes against them in both
ways, they have to charge less premiums and pay more benefits," Black said.
And Henbest has something else going
against her. She's thin, tall and blonde. Earlier this year, the House Pages —
high school students who are helpers and messengers at the Capitol — voted
Henbest "Most likely to become an Ann Taylor model." She knows that to a certain extent,
her physical appearance may cause resentment among her peers. Most often, the tension is diffused
with humor. While discussing obesity in the House lunchroom last week, Rep. Leon
Smith walked by and chided her gently, "There's Little Miss Skinny, doing
her thing again." Both smiled. But Henbest acknowledged that there's
probably more under the surface with other lawmakers. "I know it looks
self-serving," for a thin person to champion the cause against obesity, she
said. "But what I see in my practice is people are increasingly sedentary.
They don't know about a health diet, that what goes in needs to be expended out
in calories or you will put on weight." But Black said it is more the
responsibility of society — not government — to apply pressure to curb
overeating and obesity. "I think it needs to be
addressed more on a cultural basis, and I think that is happening," said
Black, who has himself been losing weight successfully on a famous
low-carbohydrate plan. "Look at the popularity of the Atkins and South
Beach diets. People are responding more than they have in the past." Henbest says she will not give up
trying to convince fellow lawmakers that health insurance companies ought to
give discounts to people who maintain healthy weights. It's certainly not
impossible, she said, because life insurance companies already have such
policies. Many health insurance plans also offer lower rates for people who meet
specific health standards. |