I read that New Zealand is collecting tons of money due to a new scheme that uses electronic funds transfers (CC, Pay by Cell, etc) as well as cash. OK, so be it. Nothing new there. However did you know that if you weigh over a certain amount, you cannot emigrate to that beautiful land that gave birth to the Lord of the Rings movies….By the way, I think the director of LOTH Peter Jackson would never pass the BMI test.
Yes, that’s right. New Zealand has a body mass index requirement of 25. If you are over that (its a combination of weight and height) they won’t let you move there. Some poor Brit who is a technical guru dealing with undersea cables just barely squeezed in under the limit, his wife, however did not. She’s on a crash diet but who knows?
OK, lets talk BMI. Before I went into the hospital I had a BMI of 30.1 (that meant I was Obese). I lost about 15 pounds and have a BMI of 27.8., and am still overweight. I would have to lose another 20 pounds to be able to become a naturalized citizen of New Zealand. Do any of you that have seen me believe for a minute that I am obese? OK I could stand to lose another 10 or so, but mainly that’s so my clothes fit better…
Wanna check your BMI — Log On here.
You may be surprised.
Their reasoning — if you are overweight, you have a bigger problems with your health and therefore would be a draw on their government sponsored health care system.
OK, lets take this through to its typical government bureaucratic conclusion. Countries with government provided health care can simply deny health care to anyone who doesn’t meet their standards of good health. Smoke? You are outtta there. Drink — not a chance. Spend too long at MacDonalds — off the program.
What if your parents had a problem that may, just may, have been passed on to you? (poor eyesight, that weak kidney, maybe certain types of cancer). Does that mean that you are not allowed on the government program?
We’ve seen stories like this coming from the UK, Canada and now New Zealand.
Of course, where you can buy health insurance, at least you can get coverage. It may be expensive but you can get it. In New Zealand, they don’t even let you in if there is a possibility that you could get sick. The husband is the story above was a footballer and his doctor said in great health. The wife may have been a little thick around the middle, but why is that any business of the government.
Finally they came for me.
JVH
