Insurers are following this progress with a beady eye. Many applications for insurance now include a ‘weigh on the day’ clause that specifies customer weight on the same day the form is filled in. They will no longer accept the last known weight, because it’s simply too tempting to subtract a pound or two for the desert you promise not to eat tomorrow! Heavier customers may be given a higher rate, or even refused certain policies.

One of the UK’s main insurers gave us this example. Consider a fit, healthy man of 40, weighing about 12 stone at 5ft 10ins. He wishes to find a life insurance policy lasting 20 years for £100,000 worth of cover. All well and good. But if you supersize our Mr. Average to 18 stone, even if he is still in excellent health, his premium will rise by more than 50%.

If he was asked to undergo a medical prior to taking up the policy, and one or two health issues were raised, this would be quite common for someone in his circumstances. Sadly, it would be equally common for his premium to rise yet again, or for the policy to be refused.

Our poor client would most probably be denied critical illness cover altogether. Problems such as raised cholesterol or high blood pressure, while not exclusively related to a high weight, most certainly go hand in hand with a high premium or in this case, almost certain refusal.

For women over 16 stone, the insurance situation is not much better. They face an increase of 33% on the cost for someone of “normal� weight. Once more, ill health or significantly higher weight further increase the cost of a policy, or even the ability to get cover at all.

So neither gender has it easy when it comes to insurance for heavier clients. The insurance companies naturally feel a need to increase their costs in line with their risks, but for those at risk of suffering from health problems life insurance becomes even more important.