Two words:

Personal responsibility.

As a whole, you have made an excellent point, Andrew. Not only do we, the community, pay directly for obesity, we pay indirectly also. I have been providing care for grossly obese folks for over a quarter of a century. As a result of lifting, pulling and tugging of folks over twice my size (and I am no small woman), I have bulging discs and torn tendons. Now I am faced with surgery to correct some of those problems.

I am not looking for sympathy. I chose to help those who could not help themselves. And I chose to stay at bedside nursing because patient contact was why I went into nursing to begin with. My point is, too many folks arrogantly think they are hurting no one but themselves by over-eating, choosing a poor diet and getting little to no exercise. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Who picks overly heavy folks up when they call an ambulance? Who moves them to a stretcher, either in the ED or to go to the OR? Who moves them to a bed, keeps them repositioned, cleans them, moves them up in the bed when they have managed to find the foot of the bed? Who gets them out of bed to a chair or to walk them? It is not machines but other human beings!

It is something to think about the next time you want to super-size a meal.

20 years ago we were still experiencing the "running boom". There were running races every weekend with huge participation. Now, we have running events on holiday weekends and as add-ons during festivals.
There are no incentives for most desirable behavior. Helping people across the street, letting cars merge in traffic, listening to others, picking up litter along the road...
I am curious about the last two words "genuine needs". What makes a need "genuine"?

Tax his land, Tax his wage,
Tax his bed in which he lays.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes is the rule.

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirts,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he tries to think

Tax his booze,
Tax his beers,
If he cries,
Tax his tears.
Tax his bills,

Tax his gas,
Tax his notes,
Tax his cash.
Tax him good and let him know
That after taxes, he has no dough.

If he hollers,
Tax him more,
Tax him 'til he's good and sore.
Tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in which he lays.

Put these words upon his tomb,
"Taxes drove me to my doom!"
And when he's gone,
We won't relax,
We'll still be after the inheritance TAX!!

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax),
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax),
Liquor Tax,
Luxury Tax,
Marriage License Tax,
Medicare Tax,
Property Tax,
Real Estate Tax,
Service charge taxes,
Social Security Tax,
Road Usage Tax (Truckers),
Sales Taxes,
Recreational Vehicle Tax,
School Tax,
State Income Tax,
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA),
Telephone Federal Excise Tax,
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax,
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax,
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax,
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax,
Telephone State and Local Tax,
Telephone Usage Charge Tax,
Utility Tax,
Vehicle License Registration Tax,
Vehicle Sales Tax,
Watercraft Registration Tax,
Well Permit Tax,
Workers Compensation Tax.

What's really sad, neocon, is that you probably left some out!

Enlighten me please. What are these tax encentives for SUV's and Monster Trucks to which the letter writer refers? Did I miss something?

Neo and comments:
Accounts Receivable Tax
**Never heard of this
Building Permit Tax
**Cost to ensure buildings are at code, something I appreciate knowing

CDL License Tax
**As a CDL holder I didn't pay any extra taxes! I paid more for my license but I was tested on more as well. Don't you want your school bus drivers tested a bit more than grandma?

Cigarette Tax
**I pay it every day.....my choice!

Corporate Income Tax
**This is kind of vague. I don't own a corporation so I don't know.

Dog License Tax
**I pay this so if they find my dog they will call me. I didn't think Guilford county had a license fee!

Federal Income Tax
**Well I do like having a congress and president and Supreme court....not to mention the best military in the world!

Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
**Don't know about it sorry

Fishing License Tax
**Fishing is controlled...how do you plan on paying for it? I don't fish but I pay the tax when I buy fish!

Food License Tax
**I for one appreciate inspectors!

Fuel Permit Tax
**Roads aren't cheap.....this seems fair, the ones who use the roads the most pay the most!

Gasoline Tax
**Maybe I didn't understand the fuel tax permit one! :)

Hunting License Tax
**Hunting is regulated as well......you wanna do it pay for it, just like fishing!

Inheritance Tax
**Income is taxed, if I get 5 million bucks from dad's 401k or 403b when he dies why not pay taxes....he put it in tax free!

Inventory Tax
**Huh?

IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax),
**Pay what you owe on time!
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax),
**Pay what you owe on time!

Liquor Tax,
**Pays for stepped up drunk driving campaigns.....fine with me!

Luxury Tax,
**Kind of silly but if you don't make money.....you don't pay it. No one pays more than they can afford at that level....not saying it is fair!

Marriage License Tax,
**Well they do have to research it! Marriage is an OPTION!

Medicare Tax,
**I know too many people who NEED this....hope I don't but if I do.....

Property Tax,
**Yea well I like Police, Fire, and Street maintance!

Real Estate Tax,
**Not sure what this is, but I do know there is alot of filing when you buy a house! Someone has to pay for the courts!

Service charge taxes,
**huh?
Social Security Tax,
**Screwed up....but needed. My parents use it.

Road Usage Tax (Truckers),
**OK DMV Enforcent, weight limits, and the massive wear truckers put on the road only makes sense they pay more!

Sales Taxes,
**Ummmmm pay government officals?

Recreational Vehicle Tax,
**Not familiar with this but I assume it has to do with highway usage

School Tax,
**Schools are good...and I have no kids!

State Income Tax,
**Ummmm kinda needed!

State Unemployment Tax (SUTA),
**huh?
Telephone Federal Excise Tax,
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax,
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge
**Most taxes can be removed with VoIP phones! even so you have to appreciate the no call list and the fact that the whole US has a congruent phone system....requires a governing body...FCC!
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax,
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax,
Telephone State and Local Tax,
Telephone Usage Charge Tax,

Utility Tax,
**Kinda vague!
Vehicle License Registration Tax,
**Well I like knowing that someone has my VIN and if my car is stolen it can be returned.....not to mention the cost of the plates!

Vehicle Sales Tax,
**See also sales tax/highway tax!
Watercraft Registration Tax,
**Don't you like the boat patrols that protect us from unregistered boats!

Well Permit Tax,
**Don't know this one...but I assume it's regulatory
Workers Compensation Tax
**Expand on this one please!

Styler, You're not going to take me to the woodshed on the "tears" tax or "tax him till he's sore" tax?

I suggest you try to smile once in a while. (this is a human trait where the corners of the mouth are drawn upward by facial muscles)

The numbers coming out on local adults being overweight or obese are staggering; the central point is that this is a health crises we should all be aware of and that requires community response.

Statistics are statistics; individuals who need help have names and faces, regardless of how they happened to fall ill. We would like to believe we live in a country in which those who need help will get it, but even a well-off middle class family has reason to fear a catastrophic illness. And this is with health insurance. Volunteers and other angels can help alleviate some suffering but they cannot replace a good medical health and education program that every community needs.

Personal responsibility is part of the answer but obviously not the whole one, because unless there are consequences, the recitation of the personal responsibility mantra is meaningless. The stats show that. And it's nice that there are more outdoor races and healthy events which Guilfordians can take part in. But if some 65%+ of us are overweight or obese, then obviously we're out there watching others run, not doing it ourselves.

Many medical maladies in America are based on unhealthy lifestyles -- snorting cocaine for recreation, for eg. "Genuine need" is not a hard concept to grasp and it is worth having a public debate about where we think those boundaries are.

Everyone likes to complain about taxes because it's an easy target. Certain taxes exist to curb behavior, period. If you want to moan about high taxes or poorly conceived tax law, start talking to your reps about it. The Bush guys think the best way to get votes is to appear to reduce taxes on the middle class. There hasn't been much of a discussion about why taxes exist in the first place, but then many voters don't care.

Neo I assure you I smiled the whole time I was typing. For example "Gasoline Tax" you'll notice a :) which is internet for smiling. Sorry I'm nowhere near as miserable as ya might think :)