The NHS came into being the same year I was born & I ,like many others have reason to be very grateful for its existence.
Now call me an old fart if you like but in my early years we were taught self-reliance, didnt sit around eating American size portions of junk food,walked to school,cycled,played sport & games-in other words used exercise to develop our bodies & sense of self-worth.
My sons were born in the late 70s/early 80s & I encouraged them along similar lines-one is now super-fit & the other has cycled all his life with no desire to drive a cage. They ,in turn, are encouraging their children to do the things that will give them good health in the years to come.
Somewhere along the line things have gone horribly wrong and "they" put dire programs on TV about, for example, super-obese people who cant leave their bedrooms or fit in normal size ambulances but continue to be fed supersize portions by their carers. Why are so many people unwilling to take responsibility for themselves? Why do they expect to abuse their bodies to the extent that they require enormous amounts of NHS time & resources?
Now as I & my generation approach old age we are being told WE are a drain on funds-remember we are the generation that held jobs,paid taxes & NI & generally contributed to the exchequer in taxed spending.
The nation will have to decide what its priorities are but unless you are willing to invest in education(of a relevant type) we shall continue to become dumbed down Britain. Ive read some topics/threads on this forum about some interesting subjects but I despair of this country & the people who try to run it! Perhaps we should realise that its time to get people to be self-reliant & chuck out all this nonsense about expecting the state(you & me) to pick up the tab for feckless & irresponsible behaviour? Don't get me started on foreign aid, poking our nose into Uncle Sams "little" wars around the globe. Lets start putting our own house in order first