OT
Life insurance - I am a big chap 6'2" and Weigh about 120-145 kg and don't look like a WEEBLE. Yet in the eye's of the Life insurance market I am "OBESE" and as BMI is to high I need to PISS in a bottle allow a nurse to poke me and take blood. This pisses me off I don;t need some quack to say "Cut out the Coffee, Take more exercise, and don;t have 12 pints of Ale every night while eating KEBABS and CHIPS!"

These people know NOTHING about my life or lifestyle, I got the same poo when I went for my offshore medical and It took 2 days to calm down. If I had met the doctor in the carpark - I would now be doing 7-10 stretch for Murder.

I'm not happy the want to take blood, I don't want this to appear on a national database, or be told that I have 5% chance of catching BONGA BONGA or some other disease I've never heard of due to the Insurance company "GENETIC" testing my blood. What guarantees can I get they won;t test out with what they say they will

Yet I need the Life insurance. I felt like telling the girl on the phone what the heck bring the Alien Anal probe with you and go to town...........

I go to the Doctor when I'm sick (1 every 3 or 4 years) I don;t go if my snot changes colour.... I am not a hypochondriac. OOO this make me mad and I haven;t even got the appointment yet.... I feel sorry for the medical examiner as she might yet be told to and "F*** **F" especially if I am not in a good mood.


What gives these people the right or the knowledge to poke at folk and say "Your are higher risk than a normal person" what is a normal person. What is normal weight, what is normal height. I am Normal, I am 6'2" I am not a freak yet when you go to the doctor the charts only go to 6'..... surely with every one in society getting taller and heavier then the NHS / Doctors / Government have to realise that a normal person is now 6' not 5' and is therefore heavier........



Thanks for Listening

and breathe.....
Sorry, but thats one of the funniest written rants we've had in a while

I can see your point about keeping the blood, we have no idea where the information is stored, how long for and for what purpose.

Although maybe you are giving this countries government too much credit. If there was some secret Bonga Bonga database chances are they would loose the records and you would be safe anyway.

Let them make you jump through hoops, ignore the fact they think you are porky (I've never met you, so chances are I wouldn't want to in a dark alley - joke) and rise above it all. Yes I know its easier said than done, but get it over with, get your life insurance and then relax. Getting the arse with them will only make them wind you up more, not make them change their minds.

[Edited on 20/8/10 by balidey]

What really pi$$es me off is the BMI, how the hell can they tell what that is from a lousy form, I'm similar to you, 6'4, and 115Kg, but, I train at least 4 times a week, 2 sessions at least 60 minutes cardio, and two weights, so my mass is mainly muscle.

So from the hieght/weight BMI Bo11ox I too am obese, and high risk, but could probably run 10K with an under nourished dietician specialist to$$er under each arm!!

BMI is daft. I'm 6'2" and 82kg and still on the heavy end of the healthy weight scale!

I can see your point, but make sure you calm down before the medical exam, otherwise your blood pressure will be off the scale as well as (according to them...) your BMI

BMI is crude, but for MOST people, it reflects well the risk of cardiovascular disease - the people it doesn't work for are the muscled athletes (like all the England rugby team for example) who appear fat, but are just big and supremely fit..... problem is that the expensive tests to determine whether you are fat or fit and big take time and money, and no-one wants to pay for it for insurance, so they go with BMI...

Lousy ain't it!

How about another insurance company?

Chris

quote:

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Originally posted by Humbug
I can see your point, but make sure you calm down before the medical exam, otherwise your blood pressure will be off the scale as well as (according to them...) your BMI

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Put your tinfoil hat back on and stop worrying, they'll get it from your hairbrush if they really want it

Humour them. They are selling a product and making the rules. You don't like the rules don't buy the product. Just jump through the hoops and get your insurance with as good grace as possible. If you get difficult with them they might just put you down on the database as 'refused life insurance' and then you really are in the poo.

quote:

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Originally posted by chrsgrain
problem is that the expensive tests to determine whether you are fat or fit and big take time and money, and no-one wants to pay for it for insurance
Chris

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Why not find a different life insurance provider? Or do they all want this?

BMI is pretty crude but quick and cheap way of checking. It's less accurate the further you go to either end of the height scale. So very short or very tall people can fall foul of it as will anybody with high muscle/low fat.

However 120kg is almost 19stone and 145kg is over 22stone! So even at 6'2" you're either built like MrUniverse or over weight.

adrian

ps. I'm 6'/80kg and I'm at least 5kg over weight.

propper rant as well!

Go on Adrian start him off again!

Steve

I am fit as a butchers dog but as soon as i tell the life insurance people i work in the offshore oil and gas industry i see pound signs in their eyes.

I'm 6'3" and 84kg, BMI around 23 but body fat is around 25% (which is too high and i need to do something about it. Walking the dog most days should help but my chocolate / sugar addiction counters it very well).

Like others have said BMI is for 'average' and is a crude but cheap way of covering most people. Those that fall foul as sent to get tested. My brother knows a bloke that is clinically obese - reality is he's a very fit athlete so BMI doesn't work for him. Worked with a bloke who had his nurse tell him he was either almost dead and she needed him in hospital NOW or he's a very fit athlete. He explained his exercise routine and she put him down as an athlete.

Reality is you're outside the norm so you either have to put up with it or don't bother. If don't bother isn't an option .......

ps look up the link between diabetes and waist size if you want to see something scary!

quote:

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Originally posted by chrsgrain

I've got two pieces of equipment that do this. They're called eyes.

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My life insurance never ordered me a medical.. In fact it was only because I've changed doctors (after living here for 4 years) that I've found out I'm 30 kilos overwieght and a high diabetes risk....

The last time I was my "ideal" weight was a period when I was on the "can't afford to eat" diet