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A worrying fact is that a quarter of children are classed as overweight before they are old enough to start school. That figure is one in three by the time they enter secondary school at the age of 11.

Obesity can be related to a range of health problems including diabetes, heart and liver disease and even cancer. In less than a decade since 1999 the number of doctors’ prescriptions for obesity drugs rose from 127,000 to more than a million.

And now the insurance companies are going to make the fatties pay.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is the tool used to calculate whether a person is of ‘normal’ proportions, or ‘overweight’, or ‘obese’, which is anyone with a BMI of over 30. This is the figure at which many insurance companies start charging up to 50 per cent higher premiums. In the past a BMI nearer 40 was used, but as it became clear how serious Britain’s obesity problem was, the figure was lowered to 30. However, they might decide to drop lower still, heading closer to the 25 mark where the ‘overweight’ category starts.

If you are obese and also have other high-risk factors such as being a smoker or suffering from certain medical conditions, the increase in the cost of your premiums could soar to a staggering 400 per cent!

An example for 150,000 pounds of life cover for a 55-year old man in good health, who is a non-smoker of normal weight, is about 1,000 pounds a year. Let him become obese and his 25-year policy could cost him 500 pounds more.

Not all insurance companies use the same BMI rate. The second largest insurer, Norwich Union, uses 35 as the figure at which to raise the premium costs, and the third largest, Friends Provident, goes from 33.

Legal & General, Britain’s leading insurer, uses a BMI of 30, and said that 13 per cent of new customers would have to pay the higher premiums.

L&G’s director of underwriting and claims, Russ Whitworth said, “Most people understand that poor diet and lack of exercise can lead to health problems but they might not realise that being significantly overweight would also make their life insurance more expensive.

“Although it is not an exact science, we find that BMI is the best indicator of the risk of being overweight, so it pays to stay in shape.”

The Association of British Insurers backs its members’ decision to charge higher premiums for the obese, claiming that it is no different from charging more for a smoker or somebody with a previous medical condition

Problems could arise for super-fit sportsmen who would have to convince their insurers that their high BMI score is due to building up solid muscle rather than being obese.
It’s no point being economical with the truth when an application form asks for your height and weight. In the event of a claim, the company won’t pay out if it catches you out in a lie.
The Financial Ombudsman Service says it constantly throws out cases where a claim has been rejected for this reason.

Recently a man of 37 claimed on his application to be six foot tall and to weigh 16 stone. When he died of a blood clot five months later it turned out he was only 5 foot nine inches tall and five stone heavier. Needless to say there was no pay out. His premiums would have increased by 275 per cent if his true details had been known, but his claim would have been valid.

The Financial Ombudsman ruled that there was such a difference between what he put on the form and what he actually measured that it couldn’t have been a mistake.

Matt Morris, a policy adviser at specialist financial advisers Life Search, explained, “ In an ideal world, insurers want the healthier clients. There is an element of cherry picking. They don’t want the burden of the heavier client.”

The Prudential is doing something to help. It now offers free gym membership, and if you use it at least twice a week you get a 2.25 per cent discount as well.Get great deals on Life insurance from The Life Insurance Protection. Please visit our site for helpful articles on Life Insurance. Visit Brokers Online to benefit from its extensive article library covering most areas of uk finance.They also offer Life Insurance Quotes, Mortgage Quotes and much much more all online.

Despite many thoughts to the contrary, home contents insurance should be a crucial consideration for homeowners, a new study shows.

In research carried out by Sainsbury’s Home Insurance it was revealed that a significant number of consumers lack this type of cover, with many not thinking that it is of importance. Out of those consumers who lack home contents insurance, just over a third (35 per cent) claimed that they did not view such a purchase as being necessary. Meanwhile some five per cent stated that they do not care about their belongings, with eight per cent thinking that they own nothing of value. Overall, it was indicated that some 4.7 million adults currently lack any form of home contents insurance.

In addition, five per cent of respondents cited the fact that they viewed contents cover as being too expensive for them to be able to purchase it. One in 100 people surveyed, meanwhile, claimed to have forgotten to take out such insurance, with the same proportions putting their lack of a premium down to being previously refused cover and not having enough time to make such a purchase.

However, following a break-in or an accident in the home, those consumers who lack a sufficient level of insurance might find that they will have to meet the cost of repairs to their property and replacing items out of their own pockets and purses. In turn this could have an impact upon their ability to manage other demands on their finances such as loans, store and credit cards, mortgage repayments and utility bills.

Neil Laird, manager at Sainsbury’s Home Insurance, stated: “It’s remarkable given the value of people’s home contents that so many do not have cover. Home insurance does not have to be expensive. You can spread the cost over the course of a year and some insurers, including ourselves, will not charge for this.”

Further research from the financial services firm revealed that Londoners are leaving their possessions most at risk as a consequence of not having home contents insurance, with 22 per cent of people here not owning this. In addition, a further five per cent of people from the capital were unsure whether or not they had this type of cover. Meanwhile about one in ten from the rest of the south-east region are without cover and nine per cent of consumers in the north of the country were also found not to own insurance. On the other hand, those living in Yorkshire and Humberside appear to be best equipped in the event of theft or damage to their belongings, as just three per cent of consumers in this part of the country do not have home contents insurance.

Consumers lacking a sufficient insurance policy may wish to opt for a homeowner loan to help them meet the cost of repairing and replacing damaged items. The additional financial assistance that a loan provides could also help borrowers to purchase a comprehensive home contents insurance policy. A homeowner loan may also be of assistance to those consumers looking to pay for emergency repairs. Research conducted by Homeserve earlier this year showed that just under two-thirds of consumers have incurred a home emergency, such as a broken down boiler, over the past 12 months. The typical bill was indicated to come to 494 pounds.Mark Dawson writes for Loan-Arrangers .co.uk where visitors can compare loans online. Then apply for the best secured loans and bad credit loans available.

Listed here are few effective ways of making the better deals out of the auto insurance premiums. They are simple and quicker steps to bring the positive change one had been wishing for managing their auto premiums in a better manner. Remember these are just helpful tips and everyone must try to do there best to get the best quality quotes they can.

Fixing the Glitches while Purchasing the Auto Insurances

Experts suggest that individuals must take necessary steps for raising the deductible and choose the auto insurances with improved liability coverage. It is possible to maintain the same premiums even after these modifications. Consulting insurance professional for reaching a trade off between the coverage offered and premiums to be paid will be a fruitful option. In addition to the auto insurances, money can be saved by purchasing the medical payments coverage, which will provide the medical expenses in the case of accidents. However, care must be taken that these personal injury protection and health coverage policies are not beyond what is necessary. Another useful tip from the experts is, while the insurance company mention about the total liability coverage they offer, it is crucial to make note of the sum paid per injured person. The best deal will be to suggest the insurers about dividing the amount paid per injured person and per accident into equal proportions.

Tips While Shopping for the Auto Insurances

First and foremost, the choices are aplenty if the individual has good credit and driving record. However, if one does not possess a spotless driving history then concentrating on those insurance policies that are flexible about this factor is essential. Considering the umbrella insurance policies that covers both the automobile and home will save more money in cases of individuals owning asserts. Another way of getting better coverage is to buy rental insurances that will compensate the amount to be paid to the temporarily rented cars while the insured car is repaired after an accident. There are other such innumerable offers from the insurance companies and all one has to do is browse sufficiently prior to purchasing. Internet is flooded with all kinds of necessary details, which one must master to locate. If the state provides cost guidelines for auto insurances then the work will be made easy. If you can find state by state insurance info you can go to your states insurance website to find more specific info.Need an online car insurance quote? Go to clicksmore.com for auto insurance quotes

Advertisements in the world of today have become very good-looking. They are sharp, smart, and they get the customers. The best ones make people want to get off their arm chairs and drive over to the nearest store and bring home the advertised product. Is the product as good as the ad claims it is? Probably not. But when did you allow objectivity to enter into the illusorily wonderful idea that the ad fed into your head? Most often, we buy new products based on how well it was sold in the ads. The peppier the actors and the smarter the ad, the more are the chances that buyers will rush and buy that product.

Good ads can sell even bad products. Only after the initial buying has been done does word of mouth decide whether or not the product will be a success. However, without the initial ad spends, the product would not even have a chance to prove itself. No wonder companies spend such large proportions of their profits in marketing their products. You never know which product might become a big hit.

If one is on the lookout for very good-looking ads, some of the best are the car commercials that we see on TV. Yet, most car ads just provide close-ups of the various parts of the car, and a supposedly smart and successful man drives away in it. Most car ads have great-looking models and actors promoting the vehicle. However much you may deny it, good looks sell products. Moreover, each of us want to be as successful as the chap who drove away in the car. So, the subconscious thought emerges: “If you are successful, you drive that car!” And if you have already been considering buying a car, the deal is probably done already. Now all that remains is to get out there and drive home that car. How do you do it?

Most likely you are not as well off as the characters in the ad. So relax. Start looking out for cheap unsecured car loans to assist you in paying for this new luxury of yours. Finding auto finance is quite a piece of cake these days. Look on the net and you will find scores of suitable car loans. Once that is done, make sure you get some car insurance. Compare insurance quotes before you settle on the best offer. But do not avoid insurance. Repairing a chip on the new car can cost a lot. An insurance plan will make the repair costs hurt you less.Make sure to compare car insurance quotes before you go in for car loans or auto finance.