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" The NHS will have no choice but to pare back some of the free treatment it provides and penalise patients who insist on leading unhealthy lifestyles, a report has warned. In its &amp;#039;Visions of Britain 2010&amp;#039; report, Friends Provident claims that penalties are likely to be introduced for those who fall ill as a result of their lifestyle. For instance, patients may be denied non-essential treatments or required to pay towards others. The report, which was conducted with the Future Foundation, also claims that it is a matter of time before legislation similar to Britain&amp;#039;s smoke-free laws is brought in to address obesity. &amp;#039;We all know that we should follow a healthy low-fat diet, eat at least &amp;#039;five-a-day&amp;#039; etc. But how many actually do anything about it?&amp;#039; said Dr Sarah Brewer, an expert who was consulted for the report. &amp;#039;Unless an unhealthy diet and lifestyle is penalised in some way, no-one will change.&amp;#039; The report also claims that, by 2020, treatments such as IVF, obesity surgery, dementia treatment and complementary therapies are unlikely to be available for free on the NHS. Last December, the Conservatives revealed they were considering plans to charge drunk patients more than \u00A3500 for an overnight stay in hospital in order to pay for the cost of their treatment. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/news/a19869/report-warns-of-nhs-penalties-for-unhealthy-living/>