Two years ago, the Cleveland Clinic stopped hiring smokers. It was one part of a “wellness initiative” that has won the renowned hospital — which President Obama recently visited — some very nice publicity. The clinic has a farmers’ market on its main campus and has offered smoking-cessation classes for the surrounding community. This program was undoubtedly based on several factors, including employee health, health-care costs, etc.

Now, Dr. Delos M. Cosgrove, a heart surgeon and chief executive of the clinic, says that, were it up to him, he'd refuse to hire obese people, too. His theory is that obesity contributes to as many health problems and costs as smoking.

"People’s weight is a reflection of how much they eat and how active they are. The country has grown fat because it’s consuming more calories and burning fewer. Our national weight problem brings huge and documented costs, both medical and economic. Yet our anti-obesity efforts have none of the urgency of our antismoking efforts."

In view of the proposed health insurance plan (which would possibly be publicly funded) what do you think about terming obesity "a lifestyle-caused disease" and giving potential employers the right to refuse employment to someone who refuses to live in a healthful manner?

Should the rest of us bear the costs of lifestyle-caused health conditions? Why should you and I pay heavily to care for those who have brought on their own afflictions?

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