Insurer To Charge Per Pound

Considering that most weightlifters (athletes in general for that matter) are considered overweight by BMI, this is just more proof that the world is full of stupid people.

HARTFORD, Conn. – Customers of one insurance company will soon be paying per pound, Hartford television station WFSB reported.

Phoenix Insurance is the first company to offer a body mass-index discount, giving its customers another incentive to eat well and exercise.

“I think it makes a tremendous amount of sense. They already have categories for nonsmokers, they have categories for everything,” said Peter Scheffler.

The insurer will offer discounts to those who maintain a healthy weight. The company was also the first to offer discounts to women and nonsmokers.

For every five years that a customer maintains a BMI between 19 and 25, he will receive an additional 5 percent discount. Customers can receive a total discount of 20 percent.

“What Phoenix is trying to do is reward those people who are healthy at the time their policy is issued and also maintain their healthy lifestyle over time,” said Dr. Robert Kinney of Phoenix Insurance.

A person’s BMI is based on a calculation of their height and weight.

If it went up as bodyfat goes up over a reasonble bodyfat%, I think it’d be a good idea.

nice idea, horribly implemented.

It’s a step in the right direction.

[quote]jsbrook wrote:
If it went up as bodyfat goes up over a reasonble bodyfat%, I think it’d be a good idea.[/quote]

I agree there, but they are going strictly by BMI, which puts Arnold in his prime as “Morbidly obese” and Nicole Ritchy as “healthy”.
At 6’4", I would have to be 175lbs to be considered “healthy”. I’m in no way the best shape I’ve ever been in, but I weigh less than I did when I was in better shape. At 225lbs, my BMI is 27, which is considered unhealthy in these terms. When I was a leaner, more muscular 248, the BMI was higher, thus less healthy even though I was in better shape and health.

[quote]etaco wrote:
It’s a step in the right direction.[/quote]

Only if the people implementing it knew what the hell they were talking about.

Great idea in theory, though, but also a very slippery slope to start treading.