WhiteWombat: "...the fit in this society seem often to have a sense of smug self-righteousness about them."

One of the key factors in gaining respect from others is to have respect for oneself. The obese and smokers clearly have no respect for their health or life, so it's not surprising that others don't either.

"In practice, it may be that the obese researcher, the stressed smoker or the shift-working burger muncher are doing more for the country..."

No. In practice, people with poor health are much less productive than those in good health. While a specific unhealthy person may be more productive than a particular healthy person, that particular person would be more productive if they improved their health.

"...in fact, it'd be quite possible that these people are looking after relatives or tending to patients when others are cheerfully toddling along to their gyms."

These people would be capable of providing better care for others if they took better care of themselves, as well as being less likely to become patients themselves in the future.

"...I do suggest that people work harder at looking below the surface when judging the worth of others."

Obesity & smoking are an outward sign of an inward problem. While it does not imply a lack of worth, it does tend to indicate a lack of self respect, self discipline and poor judgment, which are all important character traits.

I left a couple of questions in my last response for those who side with the original author which no one has touched on. Those were:

Is your policy to have an open cheque book in the medical system? If so, be prepared for significantly higher taxes to pay for that, particularly with the growth (pardon the pun) of rates of obesity.

If not, where/when do people face the consequences of their actions (or inactions)?

It's telling that no one bothered to respond. Apparently we all expect to have unlimited (and unrestricted) medical care, while no one is willing to pay for it, and the idea of rationing is so unpalatable. I think a dose of reality is required here.

Sharkfin: "...in the exercise police (religious police) to make sure those heretics who do not go to the gym 6days a week are refused medical treatment"

No. What I said is that I take responsibility for my actions (my eating habits). I'm not suggesting that others eat the way I do, nor train the way that I do. However it's (reasonable) to expectothers will take responsibility for themselves, which means not being overweight etc.

Re your last paragraph Pericles, it's just silly to suggest that I approve of peoples lifestlye. As I said above, it's reasonable to expect others to look after themselves.

I agree, BN, however, you misunderstand OLO... it isn't a discussion forum it's a place to air one's opinions.
In an earlier post I asked if people thought health insurance premiums - including medicare, should be linked to risk factors such as smoking and obesity, but of course no one responded to that, and I didnt expect them to, that would require thinking about someone else's opinion.

ybigirp (sorry if my casual memory cannot hold 7 letters accurately in short term memory).
You raise very interesting issues in your question about insurance and predictability of risk.
As more and more deteriminants of liability are understood, insurance becomes less and less attractive. If odds could be calculated precisely, why would anyone want to pay the premiums that merely balanced the likelihood of return, and in addition pay the costs of the administration of the no-lose no-win system. Insurance is only attractive as a means of sharing unpredictable losses. As more and more parameters of risk are understood insurance will become less and less attractive. Those of high risk will pay huge premiums and those of lower risk will pay merely the costs of lavish and inefficient administration, better to self insure.

BN- "is it your policy to have an open cheque book in the medical system".

That is a question that will have to be addressed with our aging population. Do you use expensive machines and medication to keep a sixty-five year old alive as opposed to a young child or person in their twenties if there is not enough money to go around. What if you need some expensive medical treatment when you are sixty five are you prepared to forgo it on financial grounds? I have a close family member who is actually high up in the financial administration of a hospital department and we have had this discussion on occasion.

Exercise and healthy eating is good as far as it goes but it does not make you as bullet proof as some people in our society would have us believe. After a few more decades of living some of these fitness fanatics will come to realise this. It may help you not to shorten your life but it wont help you to lengthen your life as that is genetically determined to a fairly large extent. The bible noted that the life expectancy back then was 3score years and ten and if you read the funeral notices in the paper every day you will see that that is still the average with a percentage of people living 10-15years longer than 70 and a lot of people dying in their 50's 60's and 70's also.

It is also known that young girls gain weight as a defence against sexual abuse and that is apparently wide spread in our communities.
So you cannot judge people who are overweight because you do not know their life stories.