Smoke // Current

Britney Spears show interrupted by 'marijuana' smoke

Britney Spears halted her show in Vancouver last night after just three songs because... more

sk8r408
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8 months ago
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Florida could be the next medical marijuana state - SIGN THE PETITION FL VOTERS

The Florida Division of Elections has approved a petition that may place a... more

sunkisthappy
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8 months ago
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12 comments

United Kingdom Talk Video Saturday 4th April 2009

Saturday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch the show here on CURRENT... more

ChrisReardon
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8 months ago
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Tobacco Tax Increase Passes

However they satisfy their nicotine cravings, tobacco users are facing a big hit as... more

MycoJ
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8 months ago
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United Kingdom Talk Thursday 26th February 2009

Thursday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch the show here on CURRENT... more

ChrisReardon
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9 months ago
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The Minister of Death

In a bizarre macabre account of divine intervention, Erik Larson amazingly encounters... more

DonQ
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11 months ago
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MY MOM SMOKES WEED

Picture yourself spending the day with your aging mother. For those of us who still... more

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11 months ago
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Joe Gets Fired

Don't worry Joe still has a job here at Current. His job description, seek out danger... more

binowhite
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1 year ago
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Waiting to Inhale

Warning from the Current General: This pod may be hazardous to your beliefs on... more

binowhite
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1 year ago
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Fewer Than 1 In 5 U.S. Adults Now Smoke : NPR

Great News! The drop continues a decades-long decline that, despite having slowed in... more

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1 year ago
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Prevent Heart Disease

What you can do today to prevent heart disease.

CutestPrincess
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1 year ago
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Five Simple Strategies to Prevent Heart Disease

You know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, but... more

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1 year ago
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Osmosis

This is an issue based visual montage, interpret it how you see fit.

JeffBall
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1 year ago
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Osmosis

An issue based visual montage.

JeffBall
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1 year ago
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Top Cancer-Fighting Moves

Five top cancer fighting moves and three more you may not have heard of.

CutestPrincess
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Women more likely to die from cancer, scientists say

“If women smoke like men, then they die like men.” That's the dire warning... more

regisb
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Health Brings Wealth: Just look at what you Burn when your Smoke (My Jacksons)

Most people save for retirement by focusing on their wealth. But you may accomplish more by focusing on your health. That's because the out-of-pocket costs for diseases that may be avoidable through diet and exercise can be staggering. Getting and staying fit now may be worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars later--a sum that just might exceed the carefully crafted stockpile in your 401(k).

That's not to say that if you are fit you don't need a financial plan. "Good health has a high value in dollars," says Bruce Pyenson, an actuary at health consultants Milliman. "But it's not enough for you to stop saving." He says your savings goal, if you are healthy, should be 10 times your final salary, and significantly more if you suffer a chronic health problem such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

How much savings is enough for chronic sufferers? That depends on the severity of the ailment and the level of coverage. But consider that Medicare spends four times as much on unhealthy people as it does on healthy ones; out-of-pocket costs from deductibles and co-pays are much higher too. If you have an uncovered, extended nursing-home stay, the cost of health care in retirement may surpass $300,000.

Such costs have given rise to a wellness industry that promotes healthy living now as a means of avoiding disease and expense later. The industry, which has exploded to $2 billion in annual revenue from less than $100 million a decade ago, promotes smoking-cessation and stress-reduction programs, as well as healthy-diet and daily-exercise regimens such as stretching and moderate weight training. Even a cursory estimate shows how quickly a few health measures pay off.

Lose weight. Obesity is linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and more. Obese people spend a third more than fit people on health services and three-quarters more on medications, according to Rand Health. The average annual out-of-pocket cost for diabetics is $454, according to an analysis of government data conducted by Nationwide Better Health, a health-management company. But those costs skyrocket to $12,000 or more for the 1 in 2 diabetics who do not carefully tend to their illness, says Nationwide. Bottom line: shed some pounds, avoid these diseases and invest the related windfall from, say, age 40 to 65--and you could pad your nest egg by up to $700,000.

Stop smoking. Not buying cigarettes alone can add up to more than $100,000 if you stop at age 40 and invest the difference conservatively until age 65. If you avoid emphysema and cancer, your savings multiply. The potential savings from medical treatments could add tens of thousands of dollars more to your nest egg.

Get moving. Exercise and diet are keys to avoiding high blood pressure and heart disease, which together have annual costs to the individual of $606, according to Nationwide's analysis. Investing that sum for 25 years may provide more than $35,000.

Such savings are not guaranteed. Even healthy people get sick, and living healthily usually means living longer, which layers on costs for other health woes you may encounter as you age. Still, the most important steps to retirement security may have more to do with what you give up (fatty foods, cigarettes and more than two alcoholic drinks a day) than with what you sock away. This is one situation in which less means much more.

Want More Money? For more information, visit cnn.com/rightonyourmoneyMost people save for retirement by focusing on their wealth. But you may accomplish... more