Lose Weight or Pay More on Critical Illness Cover

A common problem spreading quickly across the UK over the last thirty years or so is the number of obese people now in Britain. The introduction of fast food outlets and the sheer choice of quick microwave meals, processed foods, carbonated soft drinks (and alcoholic ones) and generally saturated fatty foods with little nutrition have meant that Britain is now rapidly becoming the obesity capital of Europe.

Because of this there has been an epic rise in the number of health issues amongst the general public attributed to over eating and eating the wrong foods. Diseases such as heart and liver disease, kidney failure and type 2 diabetes are all on the increase and are all associated with obesity. Because of the increased risk of developing a severe condition as a result of a prolonged bad diet, critical illness insurers have begun taking matters into their own hands, informing policyholders most at risk to change their diets and get healthy or otherwise face hefty premiums or the possibility of their claims being denied.

Records show an alarming statistic in that almost every one person in four within the UK is clinically obese, figures released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. There are more cases of obesity in females than in males but the terrifying news is the exponential rise in the number of juvenile obesity figures, confirming that today’s lifestyle is having a huge adverse effect on their appearance and health. Following the current health crisis that is gripping the UK at the minute, there are strong, undeniable links between obesity figures and the rise of critical illnesses in the UK.

Linked to having shorter life spans and being more prone to developing critical illnesses, overweight individuals are targeted for higher premiums and in some cases outright refusal of critical illness insurance applications. Many insurance companies that will insure obese people will demand very stringent methods of selection before accepting a particular individual.

Calculating the Body Mass Index or BMI by dividing a person’s weight by their height squared, is used as a reference to how far overweight they are and subsequently how their outcome will be when applying for critical illness insurance or life insurance policies. The greater the BMI the more chance that insurers will say that you have of developing a critical illness and as a result be charged more. It may sound harsh but there is a pre-emptive tendency for insurers to bulk up their premiums even if the individual has no past medical problems yet has a BMI over 30.

There is hope and different avenues available for obese individuals to investigate, to receive cover with lower premiums other than going on that diet and losing the weight, as that is easier said than done in many cases. There are options such as sourcing a reputable insurance specialist as in the case of the experts here at Critical Illness Insurance to design and discuss a bespoke solution for those suffering from obesity. With our commitment to sourcing critical illness policies to offer benefits to a diverse array of clients, we work continuously to provide the perfect solution.

Incentives for losing weight can also have a positive effect on helping to lower expensive premiums in addition to providing achievable goals for the individual to lose the weight that is making their lives a living hell. Offering to reduce monthly premiums as an obese person actively makes healthier changes to their lifestyle that are maintained and monitored on a regular basis can ensure that people will take an active role in lowering their BMI and the cost of their insurance.