It's such a hot topic deciding on where the line should be drawn. Yes, noone should be denied treatment, as it defeats the point of the NHS, but so many people take complete advantage and will never change. That's what makes me so ratty about the Chawners. There is no appreciation of what care they have received. How would they cope in America?? My mother was (well, is) the same. She's had quite a few operations on her throat to remove polyps etc and then next day, she's straight back to smoking her full amount of ciggies again. :mad:
In the US, hospitals are legally obligated to treat people regardless of insurance or ability to pay. That is one of the reasons our medical insurance premiums and healthcare costs are so high. Those with subsidize those without. The uninsured go to hospital emergency rooms for everything, even when it isn't an emergency.
In the US, hospitals are legally obligated to treat people regardless of insurance or ability to pay. That is one of the reasons our medical insurance premiums and healthcare costs are so high. Those with subsidize those without. The uninsured go to hospital emergency rooms for everything, even when it isn't an emergency.
Aaaaaah I see. I always wondered how it worked over there! How would American tv take to the Chawners? I doubt there would be any sympathy.
I know in America that emergencies are treated, but what about things that are non-life threatening like helicopter pylons and lorry diabetes - don't people have to pay for medictions?
I know in America that emergencies are treated, but what about things that are non-life threatening like helicopter pylons and lorry diabetes - don't people have to pay for medictions?
What folks tend to forget about the US is that each of the 50 states is relatively autonomous when it comes to welfare programs and medical issues. There are lots of variations. Low income people usually qualify for Medicaid which pays for/subsidizes care/medicine. (note: Medicare, often confused with Medicaid, is not a welfare program.) There are also clinics which cater to the un or underinsured in some places. A lot would depend on where you live. Healthcare in the US is a MAJOR issue in part due to inequities, and also due to cost.
The Chawners would not be welcomed here with open arms. Had they lived here all along, I doubt they'd get anywhere near the assistance they do in the UK. For starters, without children, those girls would get nothing. In order to qualify for unemployment compensation, you have to have worked for a specified period of time and paid into the fund to even qualify. There's no such thing as as compensation for being a caregiver. Programs, requirements and amounts depend on where you live. Some states are more generous than others. Yes, people play the system.
That's terrible though, where do we draw the line? Sportsmen who get injured, perhaps they shouldn't play.
Car drivers, perhaps they shouldn't drive.
Drinkers who have accidents.
I don't like this, everybody pays ( well most people) so they should be entitled to free health care. If you're going to start categorising, then others like the Chawners who don't contribute shouldn't receive any healthcare. The NHS should be free to everyone, no one should be refused treatment whatever their lifestyle!
Rant over, but that made me mad......
Me too. How do you convince them, that for once, I can say with the Chawners that my obesity IS NOT MY FAULT. It's the damned steroids.
Once you start making those exceptions it's a slippery slope as you say Greengran. And while it's not perfect, the NHS is one thing this country needs to be really proud of.
Not to mention every crusty strand of nose hair, every fleck of dandruff, the sheen of sausage grease on their lips and the sweat stains on their clothes.
Chawners in HD? Ew, no thanks.
Nikkiclody, save the 15 euros and buy yourself something nice in a few months, it's what they tell people to do when they stop smoking. Dealing with Chaweraddicition should be no different.:D
Well I was thinking of upgrading anyway, not just for the Chawners! but looking at the HD channels on Sky there really is not that many, I don't have sky movies so I might wait a bit until there is more HD channels.
well I have just watched the first 10 mins of the Chawners first series.
Sam was 27 st - so she has lost a bit. They were claiming £25 in benefits, which will be higher now, but Aud did lose higher rate DLA care and is now only on moderate.
Notice that Audrey was emphatic that they were going to lose weight, but there was just the hint of a smirk when she said it - hindsight maybe.
Phil was 18 stone at 15:eek: and used to go home and have a pound of sausages and ketchup for tea. It was Mark11 distribution that he used to work for before getting the lorry diabetes.
Hope that helps with those without HD. :D
I will try and keep you updated - until you tell me to stop lol!!
Me too. How do you convince them, that for once, I can say with the Chawners that my obesity IS NOT MY FAULT. It's the damned steroids.
Once you start making those exceptions it's a slippery slope as you say Greengran. And while it's not perfect, the NHS is one thing this country needs to be really proud of.
Yes Tally - but you are not Obese!! You have steroid induced weight gain which is an entirely different type of sausage:D:D
well I have just watched the first 10 mins of the Chawners first series.
Sam was 27 st - so she has lost a bit. They were claiming £25 in benefits, which will be higher now, but Aud did lose higher rate DLA care and is now only on moderate.
Notice that Audrey was emphatic that they were going to lose weight, but there was just the hint of a smirk when she said it - hindsight maybe.
Phil was 18 stone at 15:eek: and used to go home and have a pound of sausages and ketchup for tea. It was Mark11 distribution that he used to work for before getting the lorry diabetes.
Hope that helps with those without HD. :D
I will try and keep you updated - until you tell me to stop lol!!
Of course he would have had sausage, there's not much else really, is there.
Me too. How do you convince them, that for once, I can say with the Chawners that my obesity IS NOT MY FAULT. It's the damned steroids.
Once you start making those exceptions it's a slippery slope as you say Greengran. And while it's not perfect, the NHS is one thing this country needs to be really proud of.
Yes Tally - but you are not Obese!! You have steroid induced weight gain which is an entirely different type of sausage:D:D
Exactly. At least you have a proven medical record to back you up if anyone ever questioned any weight you may be carrying and you will (hopefully) be treated respectfully when you have to go into hospital etc rather than the Chawners who, even though doctors must treat everyone impartially, they must be seething inside that they use up so many resources :mad:
I am SO disappointed we cant watch it, I'd love to see the first series again.
But update to your hearts' content greengran. I've forgotten loads of it.
Thanks LilAud. I'm obese, but nothing like Chawner obese :eek: I actually eat healthily most of the time, plus living where I live there are no take aways, so even if I wanted a Big Mac or a Tesco breakfast, it'd be around a 20 mile round trip. The cost of the petrol would put me off. I do still crave Kentucky Fried Chicken at times though, but Loz has given me a good recipe that is close to Ol Colonel Tom's original
:eek: and as I was typing that an advert for Take Away appeared. It's like 1984! We re scrutinising everything you write. *scary*
I am SO disappointed we cant watch it, I'd love to see the first series again.
But update to your hearts' content greengran. I've forgotten loads of it.
Thanks LilAud. I'm obese, but nothing like Chawner obese :eek: I actually eat healthily most of the time, plus living where I live there are no take aways, so even if I wanted a Big Mac or a Tesco breakfast, it'd be around a 20 mile round trip. The cost of the petrol would put me off. I do still crave Kentucky Fried Chicken at times though, but Loz has given me a good recipe that is close to Ol Colonel Tom's original
:eek: and as I was typing that an advert for Take Away appeared. It's like 1984! We re scrutinising everything you write. *scary*
I used to really love KFC, but I worked there for about 6 months and that reeeeally put me off.
Update Part 2. Watched the rest with a ready-meal - well you have to get in the spirit:D
What is obvious watching again is that Emma, Phil and Aud really couldn't care less. Sam does try, but all Emma does is sulk and not try. Phil and Aud talk the talk, but really don't walk the walk. (pun intended:D) Despite receiving their health checks and dire warnings, Phil and Aud sit at home watching the telly ('cos there is nothing else to do really) while Emma and Sam are at Wellsprings. Emma spends most of the time sulking and creeping out for ****.
All of them assure Lorraine that they are 100% going to do this, then do nothing.
Very sad
Seriously - if anyone wants me to record onto DVD and for the price of postage I will do - just PM me your address:D
I've just watched it too, was particularly interested in seeing it because it was the very first episode and we all know how it turned out!
Things that surprised me:
In her one-to- one interview with Lorraine Emma bawled her eyes out at possibly losing her father (this was when Phil was told he had about 5 years to live if he didn't shape up) which is nice and all that, shows she cares. But does anyone remember when Aud was in hospital for her breast op? Darling Emma didn't give a shit (along with Phil), thought that rubbernecking a royal visit was more important than hanging around the hospital and they looked totally p!ssed off when told that she could come home that day. Nice eh?
Emma and Sam when packing to go the clinic both stated that they were 'daddy's girls' and Emma said she didn't even know if she liked her mum. I think she said she wouldn't miss her too but that might have been my imagination. Such a nice girl isn't she? Yep by the time they were this age Phil had definitely done his work.
Emma was obnoxious at the camp/clinic - refusing to eat breakfast and nipping out for ****. Well at least she was consistent - nasty bitch at the start and she's not much improved now.
Phil still revelled in his ailments :rolleyes:
And Audrey was obsessed with the TV! Saying all the right things but not actually bothering herself to follow them through. Quelle surprise eh?
I've been thinking though - if you lived on the same street as them you'd be a bit p!ssed off too. Imagine you and your partner going out to work every day, seeing an ad for Sky Sports HD, feverishly working out your finances to see if you can afford it and alas! you can't But then you look out of your door and see a lovely, shiny Sky satellite dish on the side of Chawner Towers, THEY can afford it (or used to be able to, it was definitely an HD box they had) but YOU, who works can't? The same with the car[HIGHLIGHT]*[/HIGHLIGHT]. You might have an old banger or just an older car in general, THEY'VE got a nice shiny new(ish) car outside their front door which costs them nothing more than petrol/diesel - you'd be outraged! THEY sit on their @rses watching Sky all day while YOU go out to work to pay for it. And they wonder why they're not popular? Aside from their bad attitudes I mean?
[HIGHLIGHT]*[/HIGHLIGHT] am I correct in thinking that the fuel is actually the only thing they have to pay for on the car? All repairs are taken care of AND the state pays the tax? That's how it used to be some years ago, is it still the same? But most of all: WHY DO THEY ACTUALLY NEED IT NOWADAYS? Aud never seems to leave the house, even to do the weekly shop. As the car is supposed to be for HER benefit surely it should be taken off them now? An ambulance could always be arranged to take her to her hospital appointments? Surely that would be cheaper than paying for an expensive car full time for someone who doesn't use it any more? Mind you, the state of Phil's legs he might be able to claim it for himself nowadays!
LilAud, you are a star for doing an "as it happens" review of part one of Big Fat Challenge.
I'd forgotten most of it. That was back in the day when Lorraine Kelly genuinely thought she could change them. Poor Lozza, her perky optimism went unrewarded. No wonder she washed her hands of them after the second series.
And Phil is still harping on about doing a fourth series:eek:
Doing what?
They don't exactly do very much. I think he sees himself in the same league as close, personal friend Peter Andre.
lotty glad you able to watch it too. With the benefit of hindsight, I think we can see that Phil, aud and Emma never really meant to give it a go. Sam did and tried really hard - but three against one - wasn't a fair fight
lotty glad you able to watch it too. With the benefit of hindsight, I think we can see that Phil, aud and Emma never really meant to give it a go. Sam did and tried really hard - but three against one - wasn't a fair fight
I totally agree, it's obvious when you can watch it again isn't it? There was only one lass who was serious and even St Lorraine seemed to pick up on that too. I don't know about you LilAud but I could see that Sam had lost a lot of weight from this series to the very last one? What a shame she isn't from a more supportive family eh?
But I'd like to take this opportunity to remind Mr and Mrs Chawner EXACTLY why Emma wasn't taken to America along with Sam (as they seemed quite angry about her not going too). I'd point them in the direction of Emma's behaviour at this first clinic/camp (and then later on in France) compared to Sam's pretty good attitude/behaviour. Now do you see why she didn't go? Bio weren't going to waste their money. Congratulations Phil and Aud - you bred a brat! :mad:
Emma's behaviour at Fat Camp in France was appalling, she had no manners and was rude and uncouth. And her self-satisfied smirk made me want to slap her.
I don't think she has any social skills whatsoever. She's also got a very immature manner, considering she is in her 20's and not a child.
Emma's behaviour at Fat Camp in France was appalling, she had no manners and was rude and uncouth. And her self-satisfied smirk made me want to slap her.
I don't think she has any social skills whatsoever. She's also got a very immature manner, considering she is in her 20's and not a child.
I can't remember what happened in France? Can you provide a brief summary?
I've been thinking though - if you lived on the same street as them you'd be a bit p!ssed off too. Imagine you and your partner going out to work every day, seeing an ad for Sky Sports HD, feverishly working out your finances to see if you can afford it and alas! you can't But then you look out of your door and see a lovely, shiny Sky satellite dish on the side of Chawner Towers, THEY can afford it (or used to be able to, it was definitely an HD box they had) but YOU, who works can't? The same with the car[HIGHLIGHT]*[/HIGHLIGHT]. You might have an old banger or just an older car in general, THEY'VE got a nice shiny new(ish) car outside their front door which costs them nothing more than petrol/diesel - you'd be outraged! THEY sit on their @rses watching Sky all day while YOU go out to work to pay for it. And they wonder why they're not popular? Aside from their bad attitudes I mean?
[HIGHLIGHT]*[/HIGHLIGHT] am I correct in thinking that the fuel is actually the only thing they have to pay for on the car? All repairs are taken care of AND the state pays the tax? That's how it used to be some years ago, is it still the same? But most of all: WHY DO THEY ACTUALLY NEED IT NOWADAYS? Aud never seems to leave the house, even to do the weekly shop. As the car is supposed to be for HER benefit surely it should be taken off them now? An ambulance could always be arranged to take her to her hospital appointments? Surely that would be cheaper than paying for an expensive car full time for someone who doesn't use it any more? Mind you, the state of Phil's legs he might be able to claim it for himself nowadays!
The car is paid for with mobility allowance which Aud would get due to her not being able to get around. If by chance she managed to get off her arse I'm sure Phil would have his leg chopped off so they wouldn't get their money mucked up. Generally you pay a deposit type thing but if you are on benefits and can't that's a freebie. For their S Max it would be around £2K for an entry level model. Otherwise it's fuel only they'd pay for BUT the car payments come from their benefits so if they didn't have the car they'd have the 50 odd quid a week instead to help Aud get around. So it's not quite free (even though it is in a way) because they make payments directly from what they claim for poor old Aud to get out and about (don't laugh ). The tax is free but is meant to be for Aud not for Phil to drive the girls to Tesco, although that is getting things for the disabled person so they'd get away with it.
Emma's behaviour at Fat Camp in France was appalling, she had no manners and was rude and uncouth. And her self-satisfied smirk made me want to slap her.
I don't think she has any social skills whatsoever. She's also got a very immature manner, considering she is in her 20's and not a child.
This is what really bugs me about Emma, she acts like a 13 year old brat who's craving for attention.
At her age she should be with a regular boyfriend and thinking about getting engaged and maybe having a child. In my opinion most people in their early 20s should have moved out of home and have their own place or be sharing with friends.
She really hasn't been raised with the skills to live in the real world, I don't know what she's going to do when Pa Chawner pops his clogs and she has to make a life of her own
This is what really bugs me about Emma, she acts like a 13 year old brat who's craving for attention.
At her age she should be with a regular boyfriend and thinking about getting engaged and maybe having a child. In my opinion most people in their early 20s should have moved out of home and have their own place or be sharing with friends.
She really hasn't been raised with the skills to live in the real world, I don't know what she's going to do when Pa Chawner pops his clogs and she has to make a life of her own
I think she'll take up the mantle of ill-health and live a half life, like her parents have done, on benefits, passing the time watching television, tweeting celebrities and reminding all and sundry that she was once on the X Factor.
She already has numerous health issues, and she smokes, which will only exacerbate things.
I would hope that seeing her parents 'disabled' by their obesity would be motivation enough for her not to want the same outcome, but she doesn't seem to see it that way at all.
It's almost as if she admires her father for his obesity-related ailments and consequent inability to get a job. The fact he gets an income for doing absolutely nothing is possibly something she aspires to, instead of having ambition to do something worthwhile with her life.
Comments
In the US, hospitals are legally obligated to treat people regardless of insurance or ability to pay. That is one of the reasons our medical insurance premiums and healthcare costs are so high. Those with subsidize those without. The uninsured go to hospital emergency rooms for everything, even when it isn't an emergency.
Aaaaaah I see. I always wondered how it worked over there! How would American tv take to the Chawners? I doubt there would be any sympathy.
What folks tend to forget about the US is that each of the 50 states is relatively autonomous when it comes to welfare programs and medical issues. There are lots of variations. Low income people usually qualify for Medicaid which pays for/subsidizes care/medicine. (note: Medicare, often confused with Medicaid, is not a welfare program.) There are also clinics which cater to the un or underinsured in some places. A lot would depend on where you live. Healthcare in the US is a MAJOR issue in part due to inequities, and also due to cost.
The Chawners would not be welcomed here with open arms. Had they lived here all along, I doubt they'd get anywhere near the assistance they do in the UK. For starters, without children, those girls would get nothing. In order to qualify for unemployment compensation, you have to have worked for a specified period of time and paid into the fund to even qualify. There's no such thing as as compensation for being a caregiver. Programs, requirements and amounts depend on where you live. Some states are more generous than others. Yes, people play the system.
Me too. How do you convince them, that for once, I can say with the Chawners that my obesity IS NOT MY FAULT. It's the damned steroids.
Once you start making those exceptions it's a slippery slope as you say Greengran. And while it's not perfect, the NHS is one thing this country needs to be really proud of.
Sam was 27 st - so she has lost a bit. They were claiming £25 in benefits, which will be higher now, but Aud did lose higher rate DLA care and is now only on moderate.
Notice that Audrey was emphatic that they were going to lose weight, but there was just the hint of a smirk when she said it - hindsight maybe.
Phil was 18 stone at 15:eek: and used to go home and have a pound of sausages and ketchup for tea. It was Mark11 distribution that he used to work for before getting the lorry diabetes.
Hope that helps with those without HD.
I will try and keep you updated - until you tell me to stop lol!!
Yes Tally - but you are not Obese!! You have steroid induced weight gain which is an entirely different type of sausage:D:D
Of course he would have had sausage, there's not much else really, is there.
Exactly. At least you have a proven medical record to back you up if anyone ever questioned any weight you may be carrying and you will (hopefully) be treated respectfully when you have to go into hospital etc rather than the Chawners who, even though doctors must treat everyone impartially, they must be seething inside that they use up so many resources :mad:
But update to your hearts' content greengran. I've forgotten loads of it.
Thanks LilAud. I'm obese, but nothing like Chawner obese :eek: I actually eat healthily most of the time, plus living where I live there are no take aways, so even if I wanted a Big Mac or a Tesco breakfast, it'd be around a 20 mile round trip. The cost of the petrol would put me off. I do still crave Kentucky Fried Chicken at times though, but Loz has given me a good recipe that is close to Ol Colonel Tom's original
:eek: and as I was typing that an advert for Take Away appeared. It's like 1984! We re scrutinising everything you write. *scary*
I used to really love KFC, but I worked there for about 6 months and that reeeeally put me off.
I had some about a month ago and I kept seeing the Chawns with grease dripping off their chins. Nope. No more.
Do you have Popeye's in the UK? Now, that's fried chicken!!!
http://popeyes.com/
What is obvious watching again is that Emma, Phil and Aud really couldn't care less. Sam does try, but all Emma does is sulk and not try. Phil and Aud talk the talk, but really don't walk the walk. (pun intended:D) Despite receiving their health checks and dire warnings, Phil and Aud sit at home watching the telly ('cos there is nothing else to do really) while Emma and Sam are at Wellsprings. Emma spends most of the time sulking and creeping out for ****.
All of them assure Lorraine that they are 100% going to do this, then do nothing.
Very sad
Seriously - if anyone wants me to record onto DVD and for the price of postage I will do - just PM me your address:D
Things that surprised me:
In her one-to- one interview with Lorraine Emma bawled her eyes out at possibly losing her father (this was when Phil was told he had about 5 years to live if he didn't shape up) which is nice and all that, shows she cares. But does anyone remember when Aud was in hospital for her breast op? Darling Emma didn't give a shit (along with Phil), thought that rubbernecking a royal visit was more important than hanging around the hospital and they looked totally p!ssed off when told that she could come home that day. Nice eh?
Emma and Sam when packing to go the clinic both stated that they were 'daddy's girls' and Emma said she didn't even know if she liked her mum. I think she said she wouldn't miss her too but that might have been my imagination. Such a nice girl isn't she? Yep by the time they were this age Phil had definitely done his work.
Emma was obnoxious at the camp/clinic - refusing to eat breakfast and nipping out for ****. Well at least she was consistent - nasty bitch at the start and she's not much improved now.
Phil still revelled in his ailments
And Audrey was obsessed with the TV! Saying all the right things but not actually bothering herself to follow them through. Quelle surprise eh?
I've been thinking though - if you lived on the same street as them you'd be a bit p!ssed off too. Imagine you and your partner going out to work every day, seeing an ad for Sky Sports HD, feverishly working out your finances to see if you can afford it and alas! you can't
[HIGHLIGHT]*[/HIGHLIGHT] am I correct in thinking that the fuel is actually the only thing they have to pay for on the car? All repairs are taken care of AND the state pays the tax? That's how it used to be some years ago, is it still the same? But most of all: WHY DO THEY ACTUALLY NEED IT NOWADAYS? Aud never seems to leave the house, even to do the weekly shop. As the car is supposed to be for HER benefit surely it should be taken off them now? An ambulance could always be arranged to take her to her hospital appointments? Surely that would be cheaper than paying for an expensive car full time for someone who doesn't use it any more? Mind you, the state of Phil's legs he might be able to claim it for himself nowadays!
I'd forgotten most of it. That was back in the day when Lorraine Kelly genuinely thought she could change them. Poor Lozza, her perky optimism went unrewarded. No wonder she washed her hands of them after the second series.
And Phil is still harping on about doing a fourth series:eek:
Doing what?
They don't exactly do very much. I think he sees himself in the same league as close, personal friend Peter Andre.
I totally agree, it's obvious when you can watch it again isn't it? There was only one lass who was serious and even St Lorraine seemed to pick up on that too. I don't know about you LilAud but I could see that Sam had lost a lot of weight from this series to the very last one? What a shame she isn't from a more supportive family eh?
But I'd like to take this opportunity to remind Mr and Mrs Chawner EXACTLY why Emma wasn't taken to America along with Sam (as they seemed quite angry about her not going too). I'd point them in the direction of Emma's behaviour at this first clinic/camp (and then later on in France) compared to Sam's pretty good attitude/behaviour. Now do you see why she didn't go? Bio weren't going to waste their money. Congratulations Phil and Aud - you bred a brat! :mad:
I don't think she has any social skills whatsoever. She's also got a very immature manner, considering she is in her 20's and not a child.
I can't remember what happened in France? Can you provide a brief summary?
The car is paid for with mobility allowance which Aud would get due to her not being able to get around. If by chance she managed to get off her arse I'm sure Phil would have his leg chopped off so they wouldn't get their money mucked up. Generally you pay a deposit type thing but if you are on benefits and can't that's a freebie. For their S Max it would be around £2K for an entry level model. Otherwise it's fuel only they'd pay for BUT the car payments come from their benefits so if they didn't have the car they'd have the 50 odd quid a week instead to help Aud get around. So it's not quite free (even though it is in a way) because they make payments directly from what they claim for poor old Aud to get out and about (don't laugh
This is what really bugs me about Emma, she acts like a 13 year old brat who's craving for attention.
At her age she should be with a regular boyfriend and thinking about getting engaged and maybe having a child. In my opinion most people in their early 20s should have moved out of home and have their own place or be sharing with friends.
She really hasn't been raised with the skills to live in the real world, I don't know what she's going to do when Pa Chawner pops his clogs and she has to make a life of her own
She already has numerous health issues, and she smokes, which will only exacerbate things.
I would hope that seeing her parents 'disabled' by their obesity would be motivation enough for her not to want the same outcome, but she doesn't seem to see it that way at all.
It's almost as if she admires her father for his obesity-related ailments and consequent inability to get a job. The fact he gets an income for doing absolutely nothing is possibly something she aspires to, instead of having ambition to do something worthwhile with her life.