It's not easy having diabetes.
Worse than the expensive drugs and supplies, the endless measuring and monitoring, and the needle pricks that can leave your skin bruised and sore, is the constant threat of serious complications.
Now those with the disease are being made to feel guilty, too.
I come from a long line of diabetics. Some struggled with their weight, others didn't. Until my mid-30s I fell into the latter category, but even then it was only a matter of time before genetics caught up with me.
Now that obesity is overtaking smoking as America's most costly health care problem, fat bashing -- and by extension, diabetes bashing -- is becoming an increasingly acceptable form of discrimination. Just when it seemed that we'd finally learned to respect one another's differences, those with weight problems are being singled out for special treatment.
Already some companies have moved beyond offering employees wellness programs to requiring that overweight workers attend them.
Others are charging overweight employees more for their medical coverage, regardless of usage.
A health "expert" in one country has recommended that obese airline passengers pay a "fat tax" to cover the cost of transporting their excess weight. And officials in another country recently denied immigration to an overweight applicant, citing the potential burden on its health care system.
It's a disturbing trend for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that obesity is just one factor that can contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle.
Should overweight people pay higher insurance premiums than, say, workaholics, those with risky hobbies, those who travel a lot or those who don't practice safe sex? Should people with a penchant for ice cream be penalized more than those who salt excessively or drink more -- sometimes a lot more -- than the heart-healthy glass of red wine a day?
And if so, would people like me get a discount for, say, not having children who will eventually draw on the medical system or for having pets, since research shows that animal interaction affects human health in many positive ways?
More importantly, should employers be able to know -- and control -- everything about their workers' private lives in order to save on health care costs?
I think not.
Reach staff writer Marta Hepler Drahos at mdrahos@record-eagle.com
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