Ambulances start charging extra for obese patients

[Mateo_1387]

One day the US will come into line with the rest of the world & work on the international standards of weights & measures. I am using the international standard.

Watch your tongue. You may wake up to find an aircraft carrier off your coast with motherland hate speach like that. Well, maybe in another three years or so.

However, I am still not sure why we continue to use pounds, quarts, yards, miles, and gallons? I use SI at work, SI in school, but a totally bizaar system where the units have no common conversion factor while at home. I guess we are that much better than you all for keeping two systems sorted.

Take care,

chbare.

Ha. I do not disagree that the US ought to use a common system. I disagree with the pompous position you take by bringing your standard to this board and refusing to accommodate your post to our standards. Had I went to an Auzzie forum and spread the same bull, you would have eaten me alive. Rarely have I seen you post your Auzzie slang on this board, and I assume it is out of respect because that is not the 'standard' by which this board communicates. I guess it is more of a respect thing. Thanks for sharing your views though, bro.

Matty

(edited twice, once to figure out the multiple quote system, the second to make the reply post, the third to explain the edits.)

Edited October 24, 2009 by Mateo_1387

[tniuqs]

Just the Kanukistanian Peace keeping force here, attempting to avoid the invasion of OZ and the slaughter that would occur ... ok yes I too am going after a EMT city Nobel Piece Prize.

Had I went to an Auzzie forum and spread the same bull, you would have eaten me alive.

BULL? I think you mean ROO ?

The body mass index (BMI), or Quetelet index, is a controversial statistical measurement which compares a person's weight and height. Though it does not actually measure the percentage of body fat, it is used to estimate a healthy body weight based on how tall a person is. Due to its ease of measurement and calculation, it is the most widely used diagnostic tool to identify weight problems within a population, usually whether individuals are underweight, overweight or obese. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing "social physics".[1] Body mass index is defined as the individual's body weight divided by the square of his or her height. The formulae universally used in medicine produce a unit of measure of kg/m2. BMI can also be determined using a BMI chart, which displays BMI as a function of weight (horizontal axis) and height (vertical axis) using contour lines for different values of BMI or colours for different BMI categories.

Query to Mateo do you not dose in mgs/kg when calculating drug's, because all my Bledsoe books (oh and free btw) its never mgs/lbs. Just saying its almost looking your trying to pick a fight with an OZ .. are you nuts they never take prisoners you haven't heard ? I would rather take on a Gurkha and besides there has been a calculation conversion provided for you on 2 occasions, once again 1 kilogram = 2.204 lbs and took a goggle search of .07 seconds. Besides if you look at posts these days EMT City has become an international forum.

Back to the thread at hand, well besides the extreme High fat deep fried diet of NA and killer trans fats, then processed everything, btw what is in that cheeze wiz omg its only 2 molecules away from plastic, and another hint look to the fat content in your Top Ramen noddles nutritional values ... you may be astounded, lets talk MAC and Cheese another NA staple, poison plain and simple ... I boil macaroni one dollop of butter (sorry don't know that conversion) a tablespoon of flour and milk, its called a rue, then some real cheese added for flavor its way less expensive and it takes the same cooking time ... why is there a pandemic ... because NA's are just bloody LAZY and listen to and believe way to much advertising BULL, maybe use the US legal system should sue the food companies responsible for this pandemic, sent the overweight baggage bill to those that promote this ... just saying.

IHMO the only way is to educate the children, gastroplasty has huge complications and a surgical fix is NOT the answer either ... hey water is good stuff it does not need 23 grams of processed sugar in it to be palatable, eat potatoes not deep fried "crisps" oh sorry that chips for those on just this continent ...on to Aspartame the other quick fix, and fix would be the right term.

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html

cheers and my back hurts today and bad and I am grumpy too.

You are what you eat it is simple ... and please stop using the the I have a low metabolic rate excuse .... because that is BS personified ask an RRT doing metabolic cart studies.

'flight-lp'

The State of Texas lists the ability to lift 250# assisted as criteria in the EMT-B/I/P / LP job description. Thus most agencies use this as the "magic number" for a lift assist.

Yeah GOT to love Tx, the right response to the problem, Acadian in LA does the exact same thing, they even encourage it but that could be a financial justification.

Charging by the pound is an ACLU lawsuit waiting to happen.

Agreed but we call it Human Rights here.

[island emt]

But what about the people with medical reasons to be obese? They do not choose to be obese they just cant loose weight due to a defect in their own bodies.

Fat people get FAT by eating way more calories than they burn off. Ever been at a restaurant and watched a FAT person eat. They don't order a small salad and a water. They order a big deluxe triple cheeseburger and a large fry along with a desert , Oh and don't forget the 32 oz sized DIET coke!

Like the quart of DIET coke will keep them from putting on weight!

[ Hope you note the sarcasm ]

To blame a "medical issue " as the reason they are FAT is just a crock. They eat too much, period. Yes once they get fat, they more than likely develop health problems.

I treated a 5' tall 10 year old recently that outweighed me by thirty pounds. I'm 6'2" & 205 lbs, same weight as 35 years ago when I got married & 10 lbs more than when i graduated from High school.

[spenac]

If extra people are required and /or if special equipment is required I say charge extra, because it cost the service more. Only fair to cover the expenses incurred.

I will also say that there are some people that are fat because of issues they have no control over.

The majority it is just a lack of motivation and possibly education. Though I see a lot of well educated fat people.

[aussiephil]

Obesity is a chronic epidemif across all first world nations. As I see it, the main problem stems from a proliferation of 'Fast Food' (poor nutrition) outlets in the past 20-30 years, coupled with the fact that we are now placing more emphasis on leisure time.

While this isnt necesarrily a bad thing, we are spending our 'leisure time', & our next generations are watching us do it & copying us, playing computer games, or watching TV. I am as guilty as the next person, i am not a martyr I admit it.

Life today is far more complicated & complex & I realise that we in aussieland are a bit different to other countries around the world, but in essence, the problems are universal.

The proliferation of the internet has us scared for our kids with the threat of paedophiles etc, so we dont let them go to the park to play anymore, they dont ride their bikes for hours like we used to. Couple this with the fact that 20-30 years ago we used to buy fresh food & cook all our own meals & a trip to the local burger joint was a treat for special occasions meant we in general were healthier.

I know there were other issues (smoking was considered healthy at one point as an example) but in general we lived a simpler, healthier lifestyle.

Pressures of work etc today are stealing our time & we tend to eat far more pre packaged meals, heat & eat, or more takeaway. Look at how sucessful McDonalds, Burger King & KFC are to name but a few. The major fast food players encourage ease & laziness. We pass that on to our kids & this is what is propogating the obesity pandemic we see today.

How do we beat it?????

Who knows, we need to encourage healthy eating, reduce fast food consumption & make exercise fun, but lets be honest, as parents, how easy is it to put our kids in front of the TV, Playstation, Wii, Computer, & let them entertain themselves? (not to mention we wil stiffle their imagination & the future looks terrible, who will write our best sellers with no imagination?????) I have done it, but we need to be sensible & regulate what our kids do. We need to change ourselves before we can change our children & to win this battle will be generational, not a quick fix.

Hear endeth the lesson. I apologise for my rant & rave at this point & yes, according to the BMI scale, i am classed as obese, however, my Dr's tends to disagree.

[Mateo_1387]

Query to Mateo do you not dose in mgs/kg when calculating drug's, because all my Bledsoe books (oh and free btw) its never mgs/lbs. Just saying its almost looking your trying to pick a fight with an OZ .. are you nuts they never take prisoners you haven't heard ? I would rather take on a Gurkha and besides there has been a calculation conversion provided for you on 2 occasions, once again 1 kilogram = 2.204 lbs and took a goggle search of .07 seconds. Besides if you look at posts these days EMT City has become an international forum.

I think I may be an OZ at heart. Its all good. I shouldn't hijack this thread arguing with Phil (whom I do respect) while distracting from the topic at hand. Sorry folks, it was rather rude on my part. If anyone wants to finish the discussion, we can do it in PM.

[tniuqs]

I think I may be an OZ at heart. Its all good. I shouldn't hijack this thread arguing with Phil (whom I do respect) while distracting from the topic at hand. Sorry folks, it was rather rude on my part. If anyone wants to finish the discussion, we can do it in PM.

Nah dude, you respect phil ? OMG we have to SO have to talk... I respect you totally and your a leader but thing is but please and WTF ? is liters per 100 kms, vs MPGs now thats something I just can't just wrap my brain around and PM no way figging way, if Vent medic can accept my apologies then the OZ will accept yours, no worries mate, water under the bridge .. and despite the perversion and the humping roos and wallabies/ camels and the like, we luv phil why the hell the women worship him as a sexual god .. I have no idea ... and quite positive pharmacologically induced .....

cheers

We are a cohesive force in this EMT city and have this venue and thank's to you ADMIN and AK and Terror the ability to exchange ideas and really improve the biggest problem ... solidarity in EMS, watch for my next thread .... (thats called fore shadowing) I met with rock_shoes today and my total pleasure, united we stand divided we FAIL in Dust Devil speak.

plus 1 for you Matteo.

[Quakefire]

I look at it this way, the car I usually end up staffing as our second car/transfer car has a stryker electric stretcher. Last i looked its rated for a 700 lbs lift (i'm proudly Canadian and very metric, but the stretchers American) so if the hydraulics on my fancy stretcher are unable to lift your giant butt we have a problem, not to mention my service doesn't own a center mount. These people are just not going to fit. If we need to buy a bariatric unit and stretcher, plus call in another on call crew (min 3 hour call outs) we should be able to charge extra. The other thing I see is that yes while there is extra cost for the equipment, there is alot of extra wear and tear on my back, and some of that money should goto me and my partner, or atleast to employee benefits of some kind. That or we just need the fire department and a SHAMU (think thats how its spelled, big tarp with many handles

[Siffaliss]

Now there is certainly a lot of feedback on this one ... here's my little opinion.

My service does in fact have a bariatric unit, I guess we're fortunate for that. We've apparently gotten good use of it, fortunately I've never had to call for it myself.

Not entirely sure where I stand on this ... I mean, I think huge people on airplanes should pay for two seats if their rumps spill on over onto my seat. It's annoying when you have one hip going numb because some butterball is taking up 7 inches of your seat. So, should there be a separate fee for use of the twinkie truck, it's oversized stretcher and hydraulic lift? Probably. It's unfortunate that people let themselves get THAT big, however I'm always glad when I don't have to try and "move a mountain" ... hehehe

[tniuqs]

Ok SO if we charge by the pound, what about the skinny old granny thats 80 lbs soaking wet .... does she get billed less ?

Yea Siffalass, human rights and political correctness aside nothing more uncomfortable that a 400 pounder behemoth sitting next to you on that long flight.

Is it still called R2D2 ?

cheers