Originally Posted by britvic

Are there a lot of fat bugger's at your work place then

Originally Posted by Hank Hill

Back to healthcare - my medical insurance (which I was required to have as an international student) weasled their way out of paying for my knee surgery from a sports injury and left me with a 12k bill

Originally Posted by USBound

my place offers soda too... also a plethora of energy drinks of which some people drink 10+ a day....

diabetes here we come.

personally I drink a healthy combination of water & diet caffeine free coke (its almost water).

Originally Posted by USBound

BULL SHIT.

In the UK 2 years ago... my mums best (58yo) friend found a lump in her breast... went to her docs and was told her next mammogram wasn't for another 6months... come back then.

8months later (2months AFTER the mammogram)... they tell her she has breast cancer, full blown... 18months & 2 mastectomy's later and she's STILL got cancer....

she's been told that if they'd caught it earlier she'd likely have kept both breasts and be cured now... as it is she's still being "treated" which means she has an appointment every 6 weeks.

She will likely die soon...

my mum found a lump in her breast last summer... her mastectomy wasn't until feb just gone... thankfully she's fine.

In the US the story would have gone....

9am - find lump...
if insured
10am - docs for mastectomy
11am - referral to oncologist
2pm - start treatment.
else
die.

I'd rather have the option to pay.

Originally Posted by AdobePinon

The healthcare is fine, and in my experience much better than the UK. Paying for it really f**king sucks though.

Originally Posted by ladygwennie

I cut out all sugared sodas and drinks. Felt a lot better after I did that. Trying to keep aspartame to a minimum too as i find it gives me a headache if I have too much. Try to cut out caffeine but I have to be able to have a real cup of tea every once in a while . Sticking to water and diet raspberry snapple, yummy!

Originally Posted by USBound

try getting your <UK> company to pay for it

Originally Posted by Giantaxe

The problem is that because access to it is so problematic financially for so many people, the healthcare isn't fine at all. You really can't separate out the "health" side of healthcare from the financial side when so many people either (i) get bankrupted by healthcare bills - which then impacts health outcomes further down the road, or (ii) don't get access in the first place due to lack of insurance etc.

Originally Posted by Muswell Hill

What happens at 9am if you aren't insured?

Originally Posted by leonatlanta

im so desperate for tea, temporarily living at my inlaws, that i have to boil the water in a microwave and use half and half (as my sister in law drinks milk like its going out of style and theres never any left in the morning.) cant wait for a proper cuppa when i get back. i'm still amazed at how much tea my mum drinks in england. i end up peeing like a horse. (prolly healthy though?) (just thought i'd let you know this)

Originally Posted by Maz

I don't get it... why don't you buy some teabags? Actually yes your mum really is helping herself by drinking so much tea. Just read an article on the beeb website about it yesterday - course can't find it now! - about how tea is better for you than water as it contains antioxidants and flavonoids, and is very much a rehydrating drink. I think most of us knew the last point there. Even on hot Summer days I'd rather have a nice cuppa than a glass of water.

Originally Posted by leonatlanta

oh, whoops, forgot to add in the part about adding tea, hot water and milk, urgh! i have pg tips and tetley tea but the water goes all frothy when i add the tea to the nuked water. we have a kettle but its packed away in the basement waiting delivery to our next house.