• Publications
    • Essay
    • Case Study
    • Policy Study
    • Report
    • Testimony
    • Other
    • Newsletter
  • Blog
    • Daily Blog
    • Podcasts and Radio
    • Video
    • Infographics
    • Commentary / Op-Eds
    • Events
  • Events
  • Donate
  • About
    • Our Team
    • Show-Me Institute Board of Directors
    • Fellows and Scholars
    • Our Authors
    • Jobs
  • Contact
  • Explore Topics
    • Education
      • Accountability
      • Education Finance
      • Performance
      • School Choice
    • Health Care
      • Free-Market Reform
      • Medicaid
    • Corporate Welfare
      • Special Taxing Districts
      • Subsidies
      • Tax Credits
    • Labor
      • Government Unions
      • Public Pensions
    • State and Local Government
      • Budget and Spending
      • Courts
      • Criminal Justice
      • Municipal Policy
      • Property Rights
      • Transparency
      • Transportation
    • Economy
      • Business Climate
      • Energy
      • Minimum Wage
      • Privatization
      • Regulation
      • Taxes
      • Welfare
      • Workforce
Show Me InstituteShow Me Institute
Show Me InstituteShow Me Institute
Support the Show-Me Institute
  • Publications
    • Essay
    • Case Study
    • Policy Study
    • Report
    • Testimony
    • Other
    • Newsletter
  • Blog
    • Daily Blog
    • Podcasts and Radio
    • Video
    • Infographics
    • Commentary / Op-Eds
    • Events
  • Events
  • Donate
  • About
    • Our Team
    • Show-Me Institute Board of Directors
    • Fellows and Scholars
    • Our Authors
    • Jobs
  • Contact
  • Explore Topics
    • Education
      • Accountability
      • Education Finance
      • Performance
      • School Choice
    • Health Care
      • Free-Market Reform
      • Medicaid
    • Corporate Welfare
      • Special Taxing Districts
      • Subsidies
      • Tax Credits
    • Labor
      • Government Unions
      • Public Pensions
    • State and Local Government
      • Budget and Spending
      • Courts
      • Criminal Justice
      • Municipal Policy
      • Property Rights
      • Transparency
      • Transportation
    • Economy
      • Business Climate
      • Energy
      • Minimum Wage
      • Privatization
      • Regulation
      • Taxes
      • Welfare
      • Workforce
Economy / Regulation

Should The Government Force Longevity?

By Kacie Barnes (Galbraith) on Apr 11, 2013

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Columnist Bill McClellan takes a hard line against an overprotective government in his piece, “Government should let us eat, drink, smoke and be merry.” Who knew that the Post-Dispatch would take such a stance?

He poses the problem that Social Security and Medicare costs continue to grow as we live longer. In 1935, life expectancy was 59.9 years old for a man and 63.9 for a woman. More than 75 years later, life expectancy has grown to 76.2 and 81.1 for men and women, respectively.

So what is McClellan’s tongue-in-cheek solution? The government should stop encouraging healthy behavior and just let everyone do what they want. If people want to smoke themselves to death, eat themselves to death, drink themselves to death . . . so be it. “If somebody wants to opt for enjoyment over longevity, the government ought to leave that person alone,” McClellan wrote.

While McClellan’s overall tone is a bit morbid, he has a point. What should the government’s role be in our lives regarding our personal health choices? My natural reaction is to want all the people in my life to make healthy choices. Heck, I am a personal trainer. I spend a few hours every week educating people about healthy choices. But I am no Michael Bloomberg — I respect people’s choices and do not believe in forcing behavior that I want. The government should not have the right to do this either.

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email
  • Print
About the author

Kacie Barnes (Galbraith)

More about this author >
Footer Logo
Support the Show-Me-Institute
Showmeinstitute.org is brought to you by Show-Me Institute and Show-Me Opportunity.
  • Publications
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Donate
  • About
  • Contact

Reprint permission for Show-Me Institute publications and commentaries is hereby granted, provided that proper credit is given to the author. We request, but do not require, that those who reprint our material notify us of publication for our records: [email protected]

Mission Statement
Advancing liberty with responsibility by promoting market solutions for Missouri public policy.

© Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved