Can We Charge People More For Being Overweight?

Person A: gets 6-8 hours of sleep per night, exercises 3-6 times per week, eats healthy, drinks casually and works hard to make sure that he maintains an overall healthy lifestyle.

Person B: normally gets less than 6 hours of sleep, does not exercise, eats fast food frequently, consumes alcohol on a regular and doesn't put fourth a valiant effort to be healthy.

Person C: has poor genetics and obesity run in his family. He exercises and eats healthy but cannot maintain a healthy weight.

Currently overweight employees can be charged up to 20% more than employees who weigh in at a "healthy wight" under a group company policy. My first take on this was yes they should pay more. People that are overweight have recurring doctor visits to manage diseases associated with being overweight. Over the course of a year complications from obesity and diabetes can really rack up a huge expense. Then I dug a bit deeper so I could make a more informed decision. 

What I found was that charging people more money per pound was unfair and counter productive. If it were as simple as everyone has the same metabolism and the same opportunity to keep themselves at a healthy weight then I would stay with my first thought. However, there are too many variables that cause this method to be unfair. Diets start at a young age and habits can be formed before a person has the ability to make educated decision about their health. Genetics play a huge roll in a persons weight and overall health. If I were born with diabetes and was forced to pay more no matter what I did to remain healthy I would feel as if my rights were violated and they would be.

Then I read about some previous attempts to get employees to drop LB's and how they failed miserably and actually cause some employees to gain more weight. This type of penalty also discriminates against the poor. People who live in less wealthy neighborhoods typically do not have access to healthy high quality foods. Forcing them to buy more inexpensive foods that are in most cases less healthy.

A problem like this has a lot more to it than meets the eye. The focus needs to be directed toward education. Diets should become a large part of the curriculum in pre-school and early education. Starting quality eating habits at a young age and educating students about the repercussions or poor eating and drinking will help make a positive difference in the future.