More and more people are becoming obese, even children as young as three years of age and family pets, e.g. dogs.

It seems that despite all the publicity about the harmful effects of being obese on health, people are ignoring this and continuing to eat more calories than their bodies use up. If family pets are too fat and their health suffers because of it, owners have to pay for their medical treatment. However, if people themselves are too fat and their health suffers because of it, in the UK they expect the NHS (i.e. taxpayers) will foot the bill.

The harmful effects of smoking for both the health of smokers and the effects of passive smoking are now well-known. Smoking in all public places has been banned in some countries and will shortly be banned in the UK. It could be argued that smokers, who continue to smoke despite evidence of its harmful effects, should pay their medical costs for a smoking-related illness. Similarly, it could be argued that obese individuals should pay their medical costs for an obesity-related illness.