Bo-Tax?

According to the New York Times some in the plastic surgery industry are steamed over the Bo-Tax proposal that would levy a 5% tax on elective plastic surgery.

The tax, which would be paid by the customer but collected by doctors, would be levied on any cosmetic surgery that is not necessary to address deformities arising from congenital abnormalities, personal injuries resulting from an accident or trauma, or disfiguring diseases, a definition taken directly from current tax code covering deductible medical expenses.

One doctor cited the embarrassment often associated with plastic surgery as a reason few patients have come forward to oppose the bill:

“You’re taxing a disorganized group that has no one of its own representing it,” he said. “There’s no American Society of Plastic Surgery Patients.”

Dr. Teitelbaum said some patients might be embarrassed to admit to having had cosmetic surgery. “They don’t want to come out and march on Capitol Hill,” he said. “You’re not going to have a million-man Botox march.”

A slightly more effective argument (to my mind) is that this bill is discriminatory against women, who make up the majority of plastic surgery patients:

Terry O’Neill, the president of the National Organization for Women, said middle-age women, who make up a bulk of her group’s financers, would be particularly susceptible to the tax, especially now. Many who have lost jobs might be considering surgery, she said, because they are looking to impress potential employers.

“They have to find work,” Ms. O’Neill said. “And they are going for Botox or going for eye work, because the fact is we live in a society that punishes women for getting older.”

Ms. O’Neill said women commonly pay higher health insurance premiums and suffer wage discrepancies from men. “And now they are going to put a tax on middle-aged women in a society that devalues them for being middle aged?” she said.

Although I do find the argument effective, that more women will be paying this tax, I do not personally oppose this tax. The problem isn't the tax, its the unhealthy expectations of the unaging woman and that a woman's worth is bound up in her appearance, that's the primary problem with plastic surgery in general. I'm much more concerned with the lack of maternity care and the ability of insurance companies to charge women carte blanche more for health insurance than men--which a quality healthcare reform bill will stop and a reform bill that includes some additional levies is crucial to get there. So, what do you think readers? Am I being too harsh on plastic surgery & plastic surgery patients? What's your take?

Being A Woman: I Am Not a Pre-Existing Condition Campaign

Check out the video above which is trying to call attention to the fact that simply by being a woman often means being charged up to 84% more for basic healthcare WITHOUT maternity coverage included. Healthcare reform is a woman's issue and it is a human rights issue. Check out the campaign and contact your representatives regarding the necessity of the Public Option.

Peace

6 Surprising Reasons Why You're Exhausted

Yawning? 6 Surprising Reasons Why You're Exhausted

Below is the list of six.

1. A hidden UTI: In some cases, fatigue may be the only sign of a urinary tract infection, reports WebMD.

2. Your diet: If you're not eating enough, you will be tired.

3. Food allergies you didn't know you had: Some doctors believe that exhaustion could be a sign of hidden food allergies.

4. Caffeine overload: You probably reach for more coffee when you're tired, but experts say that too much caffeine can sometimes backfire, causing you to feel more fatigued.

5. Undetected thyroid problems: Fatigue is one symptom of a thyroid condition called hypothyroidism. Fortunately, this is such a treatable thing (I have it, and just pop a pill each day--no biggie).

6. Night Noise, such as your snoring man.

HPV and Men

Here is a great article about the issue.

Here is the gist.

Definition of HPV.

1. There are proposals to get the HPV vaccine for men currently submitted to the FDA.
2. Men who get HPV in their throat have more complications if they develop HPV-associated oral carcinoma.
3. Since HPV is an STD, if we prevent it in men, the infection rate of women would go down also.

The Mommy Myth of Being your own Boss

We have to remember that we are not superwoman. There are only 24 hours a day so we can't do everying thing. Below are tips from an article about being realistic about starting your own business as a mother.

- Talk to your spouse about working as a team when it comes to child/home responsibilities.
- Get good child care, whether it's day care, a babysitter or a co-op with other entrepreneur moms.
- Find a place in the house for your business so you can shut the door, and set boundaries for children when it comes to interrupting Mommy.
- When you do anything in start-up mode, the investment of time is extraordinary. You have to realize it will be all-consuming.

10 Reasons You're Not Losing That Weight

Nancy Gottesman, at Women's Health says:

Dieting is complicated and we often unwittingly sabotage our best intentions. For instance, who would ever think that working out in the a.m. or cranking the AC might be the reason you're not slimming down? Luckily, once you've identified these flubs, fixing them is nowhere near as hard as pulling on a pair of control-top hose.

10 Reasons You're Not Losing That Weight

1. Skipping Sleep.
2. French fries are your main vegtable.
3. Artifical climate (like A/C) is making you hungry.
4. Trying to justify big meals with exercise.
5. You looking for quick results and defeat the purpose by trying an unstainable diet.
6. Setting realistic goal may make you not try as hard.
7. Eating candy for anti-oxidents.
8. You are only getting water from the fountain and not from your food.
9. Using labor saving devices to do the most basic tasks.
10. You don't get enough natural potassium.