Healthcare Reform Through Waistline Control

Recently, we interviewed Dr. Tom Kim - founder of a clinic for underinsured and uninsured East Tennesseans - about how he would solve our healthcare crisis.

Dr. Kim's prescription was pretty simple.  "Quit smoking, eat less and walk instead of driving places."

He's no doubt right.  We would all be healthier if we followed Dr. Kim's advice.  But how far are we willing to go toward that end? How comfortable would we be if we were "ordered" to quit smoking, eat less and walk more?

Right now about thirty-five percent of us Americans are considered obese.  We're one of the fattest countries in the industrialized world. And because of that we are prone to all kinds of illnesses..from diabetes to heart disease.

But while health insurance discounts are becoming more common for non-smokers and we're encouraged to lead a more healthy lifestyle, we haven't seen government step in to demand it - at least not yet.

In Japan, which has a five percent obesity rate, they do demand it.  They don't just encourage weight loss, they're mandating it.  Read all about it here.

For Japanese, the result is a healthier nation and less stress on the country's healthcare system. But it comes with a cost - the freedom to choose.

Because even with that positive outcome, I doubt Americans would be too keen on government coming between us and our Big Macs.