Reflex: November 15, 2011

Medicare savings by raising the eligibility age could be a mirage, reports Matt Dobias. “Some Democrats and advocates for the elderly say the idea of raising the age may sound like a smart fiscal move but that it has more drawbacks than appear at first glance. They say it would shift costs to older Americans and to government programs other than Medicare, and have ripple effects that can boost people’s out-of-pocket costs in the private insurance market.” Aaron’s Comment: I’m glad others are noticing this. TIE has been screaming about this here and here and here and here and here and here at CNN.com. We even have a FAQ and a podcast.

Don’t tell people you are trying to lose weight, writes Jacque Wilson. CNN health blog runs individual stories of losing weight and getting into shape. Don’s comment: this one caught my eye because it is different from the general smoking cessation advice that you should tell others so that they may support you. The Physician advising patients seeking to lose weight in secret says that persons who are a part of an obese individual’s social network are also likely to be obese, and will resist the change. Other research cited vaguely (that I will try and dig up) notes that psychologically it is better to have others notice without your telling them to reinforce the actual weight loss, as opposed to the goal of losing weight.

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