Who would have ever predicted that being over weight could actually cost you? Now insurance companies are charging you more money if your BMI (Body Mass Index) is over 35!
In 2010, state employees in Alabama will be charged $25 per month for insurance (that’s normally free to state workers) if they have a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or greater or if they are not making any process in slimming down — though how the progress will be measured is still being determined. This comes after insurance companies are finding that obese folks incur more medical costs over the course of a year than those who are not overweight.
Granted, Alabama is second only to Mississippi for having the most obese population in the country, but how do you feel about it? If you’re overweight, would you be OK with paying a $25 fee if your employer were to set the same guidelines? If you’re not overweight, do you feel it’s fair.
For many people, this might encourage them to get into better shape. However, why does it take an increase in insurance to make people care about their own health. That old saying “if you don’t have your health you have nothing;” is really quite true. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or how successful you are, if you aren’t healthy enough to truly enjoy it!
Adria Ali
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