Luxury Taxing of Medical Procedures

Tax US citizens for medical procedures due to relative lifestyle choices? This type of reasoning could also be used then to penalize and tax people who eat fast or junk food by saying that they have an option to eat healthier or otherwise. Or perhaps we begin to tax parents for providing orthodontic services which are often not covered by insurance due to the cosmetic nature of the procedures. Where does this type of rationing end? I do not think it is the responsibility of the government to be the morality or vanity police, but support and create legislation that does not have the potential to divide people, due to their choosing procedures that may be considered to some and not others as essential or not to the individual.

There are many studies and reports of wasted tax income that goes to frivolous expenditures like those reported by Forbes such as taxpayers funded story time at laundromats ($248,200); sex education for prostitutes in Ethiopia ($2.1 million) and Ivy League, Inc. (the eight Ivy universities) received $9.8 billion in federal grants despite having a collective endowment of $140 billion, up $20 billion since 2016.

Forbes goes on to report that of the US governmental agencies receiving the highest amount of funding for 2017-2019 was the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) having received $1.5 trillion in grants – which was approximately seven of every ten dollars. Twenty-one other governmental agencies were awarded $1 billion or more in grants. Obviously, these are very big dollar numbers and not knowing exactly how the monies were spent can open a debate of if the funds were actually used wisely for the American people. So, where I don’t think, the government should move to impose a “cosmetic tax” I do think the government should be held more accountable for the vast amounts of money that is possibly being spent on frivolous projects that do not help the American people as whole.

There are many good points on many sides of this issue. As long there is open dialogue by whomever ultimately make these decisions to pass legislation, there is some hope for fair and reasonable measures to be installed. I am all in for helping those who need assistance and cannot work or pay for their basic needs; not so much for those who choose to not work for their needs and wants. Our government has the resources to provide for those in need, but I feel the root problem is in the poor administration and/or management of the already existing resources.

With that being said, there are many types of cosmetic or elective procedures/surgeries that are not necessarily covered by insurance companies. Some of these procedures could be deemed as a positive factor whether physically or mentally to the patient. Or perhaps detrimental to the patient in not just physical appearance but in accompanying mental issues, such as depression, low self-esteem, bullying and probably others. Who gets to decide if these are necessary procedures or luxury items to be taxed? I see the following cosmetic examples as being questionable:

Craniofacial Surgery – examples would be birth defects, cleft palates, auricular issues, etc.
Reconstructive Surgery After Disease or Injury – examples like animal bites, injury from trauma, scarring from disease
Correction of a Deviated Septum – example such as sinus issues, breathing problems, injury or trauma, snoring which affects sleep quality
Breast Reduction – can cause back, neck and shoulder issues
Breast Reconstruction – cancers, but also traumatic injury, abuse
Eyelid Procedures – issues can affect sight, ability to drive, work, etc.

There is the discussion if straight teeth are considered cosmetic or otherwise? Also, wisdom teeth removal. Both of these issues can be lived with, but there is much information that the straightness of the teeth can affect eating habits resulting in better or worth chewing of certain foods, which can lead someone to choose some foods that are easier to chew but less nutritional over ones that are healthier but require more mastication. A healthy smile also improves self-esteem which lowers stress and relative stress hormones.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279590/

https://www.northtexasplasticsurgery.com/blog/6-examples-of-when-plastic-surgery-is-medically-necessary

https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2020/09/30/wheres-the-pork-us-taxpayers-funded-a-lot-of-wasteful-spending-2017-2019/?sh=79aae41d3dc0

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I write often about topics that affect our health and well-being. Additionally, I teach and offer lecture about qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, and yoga. I also have hundreds of FREE education video classes, lectures and seminars available on my YouTube channel at:

https://www.youtube.com/c/MindandBodyExercises

Mind and Body Exercises on Google: https://posts.gle/aD47Qo

Jim Moltzan

407-234-0119

www.MindAndBodyExercises.com

www.Amazon.com/author/jimmoltzan

Performance Enhancing Drug Usage

I have found that when athletes use PEDs (performance enhancing drugs) there is the possibility of side-effects from using such drugs. Although some of these drugs or supplements are deemed as safe for human consumption by the FDA, there are still concerns of overuse, abuse, allergic reactions, and other issues that might affect one individual differently than another. The user needs to accept the responsibility to read product labels and conduct their own research to best determine what ingredients are used and if they are safe for the individual user and not the general public as a whole.

https://trinitonian.com/2018/04/25/athletics-dept-to-begin-testing-for-athlete-drug-use/

When examined as a societal issue, I think that it sends the wrong message that it is fine to bypass the hard work, time and effort that is often sacrificed in order to achieve a particular goal relative to better physical performance for whatever sport one is pursuing. With the competition that is inherent within most organized sports, PEDs are bound to cause issues of jealousy and envy as some athletes will develop animosity towards others that are seen as cheating or acquiring an “edge” over other competitors.

This discussion can again lead back into last week’s talk about people looking for and relying upon pharmaceuticals to cure all our illnesses and diseases. However, in this case it would be drugs to not only fix our health problems, but to maybe fix issues of low self-esteem, ego, and other psychological imbalances due to the highly competitive nature of organized sports.

I don’t really see much of a difference between illegal and legal PEDs, when it appears as if many of the supplements that go unregulated as well as those approved by the FDA for prescription use only, are widely available to anyone looking to purchase and use these products at their own risk. Perhaps the whole industry and the FDA are in need of closer scrutiny as to conflicts of interest when it comes to regulating products that have become such a large health issue in sports on all levels.

References:

https://www.healthline.com/health/legal-steroids#alternatives

Edlin, G., & Golanty, E. (2019). Health & Wellness (13th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning

https://taylorhooton.org/how-easy-it-is-to-get-steroids/

https://www.youtube.com/c/MindandBodyExercises

Mind and Body Exercises on Google: https://posts.gle/aD47Qo

Jim Moltzan

407-234-0119

www.MindAndBodyExercises.com

www.Amazon.com/author/jimmoltzan

Food Label Ambiguity

Labeling on foods can often be misleading, vague, or complicated for the uninformed. I feel that this is a way that food companies can be dishonest by perhaps changing the serving size to be half the portion, making it seem that the fat content is half as much. Food labeling can be like a shell game where if you don’t pay attention to the wording and amounts, it is easy to believe whatever the food companies wish one to believe in order to purchase their products.

It appears to me that the US government (FDA) that regulates the food companies, have more rights than the consumers buying their products. Unless one becomes well versed in the product labeling, which most people are not in my opinion, it is very easy to think that we are purchasing and ultimately consuming healthy food products where in reality we are not.

I am in favor of total transparency on food labeling, as to what the nutritional values are, what actual ingredients are included naturally and what is chemically added in the process of preparing for resale. Then let the consumer decide for themselves if they want to purchase a product that is loaded with whatever additives or preservatives. There is a reason why the shelf life for some processed foods is literally years. Why would I think otherwise that these same chemicals would not end up “preserving” something within my body that should not be preserved?

I have a relative who is a food chemist. Years back he shared with me that one of the most common food colorings, called carmine is a natural red dye also labeled as cochineal extract, E120 or natural red 4, that comes from the female cochineal bug. Even if crushed bugs are not toxic, I think consumers should be able to find this fact more easily than having to research every ingredient for alternative names.

I read food labels constantly when I shop. I choose to monitor how much sodium and other additives are in foods that I purchase and prepare. Anything frozen, processed, prepared in advance or in a can are often the worst for us as they are at least loaded with salt as a natural preservative and often other chemicals to add shelf life. I have dabbled in the organic food labels also. These can be misleading also as there are various classifications for what can be considered as organic. One really has to take the self-responsibility to pursue the due diligence if one wants to better manage what they consume.

References:

https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-science/carmine.htm

https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means?page=1

FDA’s plan to define ‘healthy’ for food packaging: Better than the existing labeling anarchy, but do we really need it?

https://www.youtube.com/c/MindandBodyExercises

Mind and Body Exercises on Google: https://posts.gle/aD47Qo

Jim Moltzan

407-234-0119

www.MindAndBodyExercises.com

www.Amazon.com/author/jimmoltzan

Underage Drinking and Smoking

Underage drinking on US college campuses has skyrocketed over the last few years, as our youth and seemingly everyone, struggles to cope with mental ailments of depression, anxiety, ADHD and others. The apparent ease of obtaining fake ID’s makes it abhorrently obvious that these institutions and their relative law enforcement, care to turn on blind eye and let the alcohol abuse continue, as long as they themselves are not held responsible or liable when the shit goes sideways. How ironic it is that if someone is caught in the possession of a fake ID, they could be facing a third-degree felony charge, and a potential 5 year jail sentence, and a fine up to $5000, depending upon the state that they get caught within – in spite of the fact that fakes are readily available online (https://blogote.com/10-best-fake-id-websites-complete-reviews-2022/)

If you are a parent of a kid away at school and don’t think that yours is drinking, smoking and trying whatever drug they please, you my friend are living in a fantasy land, a state of denial or what is more likely described as cognitive dissonance. “Cognitive dissonance is the unpleasant emotion that results from holding two contradictory beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors at the same time” (Halton, 2022). Examples of how are society embraces cognitive dissonance would be:

The whole tobacco/vape industry. The tobacco industry is probably the only industry which the FDA willfully allows (but not approves of) to operate in spite of the scientific studies that prove the harmful effects to humans. So, while the FDA is basically in place to protect the American population against substances that endanger the health and well-being of humans, they continue to pander to this deadly industry. It has even been proven that the tobacco companies conspired to make their products more addictive, but these companies are still allowed to operate and earn profits (Kodjak, 2017).

We know that our population is dangerously unhealthy, nutrient deprived, overweight or obese, affecting our health, well-being and even the security of our defense as most young adults cannot pass the physical exams to be in the military. Yet, we and our government do little to make this a priority. In the words of Dr. Jerome Adams, the former surgeon general of the United States, “You know what will make you and your community healthier but still, you choose not to do it.” He goes on to state that 7 out of 10 of 18-24-year olds are ineligible for military service. They cannot pass the physical, can’t meet educational requirements, or have a criminal history (TEDx Talks, 2020).

It is common knowledge that our population, and especially our youth have been experiencing more stress, more depression, more anxiety and more suicides than any other time and even prior to our recent health crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. Again, we and our government leaders seem to accept this, by not making it a high priority.

These issues and many others will not improve due to a lack of money or resources but rather a lack of moral character and fortitude to actually do what it takes to fix our broken culture. Our government can print a few trillion dollars at a moments notice, often billions of dollars for other countries needs and agendas. But won’t do what it takes to fix our own problems. Why? Because fixing some of these problems would put a lot of companies out of business and investors would lose their ill-gotten gains.

This topic of underage usage of legal substances of marijuana, alcohol and tobacco products is quite relative to current cultural and societal issues. As a parent of two college-age kids, I now have a different perspective than when I was their age and even as a young parent. I personally did much of my experimentation in my early teens as I had access to all of the aforementioned. My parents were either unaware or chose not to appear to know of my actions. I think that back in the 70’s and 80’s many kids were experimenting regardless of what their parents knew or didn’t know. So, what I have learned as a parent is that the more you try to shield or restrict kids from whatever behavior, they will pursue it more out of curiosity, defiance, and rebellion. If we teach and explain issues from a point of concern, love, and respect we have a much better chance of youths making better informed decisions on their own.

I have had pretty much this same conversation with both of my now grown kids, letting them know that I do not encourage underage use, nor “of age” abuse of any of these substances. I also let them know that I am not naïve as to what young adults are doing and the peer pressure that they live within on a daily basis. I am their parent, their guide and sometimes their lifesaver, and I remind them of this.

Drug legality is more of a function of social, political, and economic factors not necessarily related to the toxicity or pharmacology of a particular substance. Some drugs are deemed as unsafe by the powers that be (FDA), while others are judged to be safe but can be just as abused and dangerous. Those that offer adverse or deadly side effects are mostly the ones that become illegal. As social acceptance changes, along with peoples’ individual beliefs, legal status of drugs will continue to be in a constant state of change and adjustment. During the early years of the twentieth century, drugs such as opium, morphine, and cocaine were openly sold but later banned is illegal substances. Marijuana was legal throughout the US until 1937, then it was illegal and now it is becoming more legal again throughout much of the United States (Tikkanen, n.d.).

If we look at the seemingly unlimited resources of the US federal government to fund the “war on drugs” we can see that money, arrests and prison sentences has not been working for the last decades. However, with unlimited resources used more wisely for early education, I feel that knowledge is a root component to not just fix problems in our society, but rather to prevent or decrease the negative consequences. When I saw a movie called “Scared Straight” in middle school, a documentary about life in prison, I received the message. When I saw movies about STD’s in middle school with pictures and interviews of diseased people, I got the message. When my school had a completely crushed car from a DUI accident with a fatality, prominently displayed in the courtyard, I again received the message. From here it was up to me to be responsible to make wise decisions that would affect my life and those around me.

References:

Adams, Jerome, “How resilient communities can create a healthier country.” Youtube, uploaded by TEDxMidAtlantic. September 23, 2020. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIY13uvlGLY

Halton, C. (2022, September 29). Cognitive Dissonance. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cognitive-dissonance.asp

Kodjak, A. (2017, November 27). In Ads, Tobacco Companies Admit They Made Cigarettes More Addictive. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/11/27/566014966/in-ads-tobacco-companies-admit-they-made-cigarettes-more-addictive

Edlin, G., & Golanty, E. (2019). Health & Wellness (13th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning

Tikkanen, A. (n.d.). Why Is Marijuana Illegal in the U.S.? Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/why-is-marijuana-illegal-in-the-us#:~:text=He%20believed%20that%20smoking%20pot,illegal%20across%20the%20United%20States.

https://www.youtube.com/c/MindandBodyExercises

Mind and Body Exercises on Google: https://posts.gle/aD47Qo

Jim Moltzan

407-234-0119

www.MindAndBodyExercises.com

www.Amazon.com/author/jimmoltzan

High Cholesterol Levels and Risk of Heart Disease

People in Japan or southern European countries have one-half to one-third the risk of dying from heart disease in comparison with people from the United States or northern Europe, even when their cholesterol levels, on average, are the same. A person with a cholesterol level of 250 mg/dl in Denmark has a two to three times greater risk of a fatal heart attack compared with an Italian with the same cholesterol level.

These numbers can be misleading if only taking into account the total cholesterol level as opposed to the ratio of the “good” high cholesterol or high-density lipoproteins (HDL) included in the total cholesterol figure. For example, the seemingly high total cholesterol level of 240 mg/dl may not be of concern if there is also a higher HDL level such as 35-60 mg/dl and therefore producing a lower ratio. A higher ratio (lower HDL level) could be interpreted as having a higher risk of heart disease whereas a lower ratio (higher HDL level) would equate to a lower risk.

The disparity between various cultures having high averages for total cholesterol levels may not be taking into account the dietary intake of a particular country possibly having more HDLs in their diet. The typical French diet was stated to have much fat, along with meats and eggs. Eggs are reported to be a good source of HDL. The typical Italian diet, or more specifically the Mediterranean diet may also include high sources of HDLs such as fish, nuts, and olive oil. This diet also focuses on less intake of sugars and other processed foods. On the other hand, the typical American diet has many high LDHs (low-density lipoproteins) coming from fatty beef, whole dairy products, potato chips, bakery items, fried foods and other processed meats and foods.

This leads me to believe that the cholesterol numbers don’t always reflect the actual quality of the foods that a particular culture consumes.

So, I think that is someone ingests mostly poor-quality food that contains high amounts of sugar, high amounts of LDHs, low amounts of HDLs, and lives a mostly sedentary lifestyle, their risk of having heart disease and other relative illnesses will dramatically increase.

References:

Edlin, G., & Golanty, E. (2019). Health & Wellness (13th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning

Keck Medicine of USC. (2022, September 1). What Is the Difference Between Good and Bad Cholesterol? https://www.keckmedicine.org/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-good-and-bad-cholesterol/

HDL & LDL: What You Need to Know About Good and Bad Cholesterol. (2021, September 28). Allrecipes. https://www.allrecipes.com/article/hdl-vs-ldl-cholesterol/