Letter writers comment on reckless driving and fairy tales

Letter writers comment on insurers covering obesity surgery, unworthy aid recipients

Two doctors take part in a recent panel discussion that recommended that obesity be recognised by insurance companies as a 'killer' disease. A reader explains why this is unlikely to happen. Sammy DalShow more

The news article Insurers accused over 'killer' obesity (April 25) reported that doctors during a recent panel discussion recommended that insurance companies should recognise obesity as a "killer" disease.

Insurance companies don't cover bariatric surgery because they don't have to. They would stop covering heart bypass surgery if they could get away with it because it costs them money. They can't because the link is direct; fix the heart, save the life.

Obesity doesn't work that way. It's not viewed as the actual cause of death. It's seen as a cause of the cause. I could abuse my body for decades with smoking, drinking, and poor diet and when my heart gives out, the insurance company will pay to get it fixed. But if I'm a non-smoking, non-drinking food lover whose body is slowly giving out on account of obesity, what's to fix? My lifestyle? I guess the only recourse for the obese against the insurance companies is to die as slow and painful a costly death as can be mustered. That'll teach'em.

Donald Glass, Abu Dhabi

Unworthy foreign aid recipients

In the news article 'World must try harder' on piracy (April 19), the Somali foreign minister Mohamed Abdullah Omaar criticised the global response to the piracy problem in a blunt keynote address to an anti-piracy conference in Dubai. He complained about the lack of international aid programmes inside Somalia itself.

Some will never be satisfied with whatever aid they get in direct or indirect development of their country. Enough is enough.

The turmoil in such countries is created by the government, so as to illustrate to donor nations the urgent need for overseas aid.

The overseas aid from good-natured donor nations in most cases ends up in the pockets of a select few of notorious elite as the beneficiaries.

Amit Bhattacharjie, Dubai

Disgruntled voice of a fee-payer

I refer to the front page business article Emaar to broaden its scope as profits fall (April 25). Why was there no mention that Emaar now is trying to increase revenues by pressuring their customers?

The company is increasing service fees by 30 per cent this year, and adding the balcony area for service calculations.

E Hunt, Dubai

Recklessness is the root problem

Just because some people panic at a speed of over 100kph does not mean it is unsafe. Maybe those people should avoid driving on motorways.

Recently, a taxi wanted to enter a petrol station it was about to miss. So in a road where everyone is driving at 120kph, he made a panic brake down to 60 kph and was about to cause accidents.

Then he somehow went from the third lane to the pump, casually ignoring all the horns and screeching brakes.

Nikolas Jones, Abu Dhabi

Congratulations to Abu Dhabi Department of Transport for reducing speed limits. Every afternoon, I witness minivans carrying school children without seatbelts, speeding at the signals.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

A story-telling experience

I loved Rym Ghazal's column Tradition of fairy tales has some read-world advantages (April 21). It reminded me of one of my favourites: "Frau Holle". You may have seen at one time a picture of an old woman shaking bedclothes out her window, feathers escaping everywhere. In the story, the feathers become snow and fall down to the human world.

When an orphan girl is forced by her evil stepmother to jump into a well to bring back a spinning needle, she wakes up in Frau Holle's world and goes to work for the old woman. She eventually chooses to return home. Because she did such good work, when she steps through the magical gate that leads home, it showers her with gold.

Jealous, her wicked stepsister decides to jump into the well too to get rich. But she is lazy and her work is sloppy. So instead of gold, she is showered in sticky black resin and goes home empty-handed.

Now I'd like to pass on the fairy tale I grew up on to my son, who may not understand the full bedtime story, but enjoys the experience of me telling it to him.

Nadia Naji, Saudi Arabia.

No zombies, just extraterrestrials

The article JJ Abrams' much-anticipated book (April 24) commented that the creator of Lost is turning to a literary project. However, the author mentions "Super 8, his next big zombie movie ..." There's not even a hint of a zombie in Super 8. With a train running from Area 51 to Wright Patterson AFB, clearly this is an extraterrestrial movie.

Mark Cooper, Abu Dhabi