Have you recently filled out a form for life insurance? There's a small box that makes people who are "slightly overweight" nervous. It just asks you to say how much you weigh. Do you go straight to the scales, take off all your clothes, and wiggle around on them to find the lowest mark on the gauge? No, I didn't think so. You probably make a guess that is vague and overly optimistic, write it down, and move on quickly to the next question. We all tend to do it. It's not really dishonest. Before Christmas, the holidays, or the wedding, you know you're going to lose it. Rather!
Now, one of the biggest names in life insurance in Britain, Scottish Provident, has added another simple question: "When was the last time you weighed yourself?" This is to get a better idea of the risk factors. They know that many people are self-conscious about their weight and forget that they've put on a few pounds since the last time they went on their "diet to end all diets." They think that this will help their clients get a more accurate picture of their health risks. It's also important to keep in mind that some people will lie to get lower premiums.
Scottish Provident is worried that they are not being told the truth, and they have every right to be. The UK government is very concerned about obesity. It was recently reported that almost a quarter of us are overweight, and Cancer Research UK thinks that about a quarter of these people don't want to lose weight. Only Greece has more people who are overweight than we do.
The British Medical Association's Body Mass Index is used to define obesity (BMI). To figure this out, you need to know how tall you are in metres and multiply that number by the same number. Divide this number by your weight in kilogrammes to get the answer. This gives you your BMI, which can be used to tell if you are underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. It will, however, make people who are muscular or athletic look fatter than they really are. These are for grown-ups.
BMI categories are
Underweight means you weigh less than 18.5
- Healthy weight is between 18.5 and 24.9
Overweight is between 25 and 29.9
Obesity means a BMI of 30 or more
In a recent study of 33,000 adults, which was published in the Lancet, the above numbers were agreed upon as normal weight, and it was suggested that only adult patients with a BMI of 35 or above would have a serious drop in life expectancy.
Most life insurance companies have settled on a BMI level of 30, which seems fair and even kind. If your BMI is over 30, your insurance premium will go up and you may even be asked to get a medical exam. This means that if you are overweight, the cost of your critical illness or life insurance could go up by 50%, and it seems likely that some people could be turned down for coverage.
It's a dangerous job!
