The Senate approved a measure that would give an incentive to those who live a healthier lifestyle. Back in 2009, Sen. Greg Ryberg proposed increasing the premium $25 a month with the extra charge which was tied to the body mass index. With the belief that this would be too hard to administer, the bill died. With the new incentive state workers with a healthy lifestyle can now get a reduced health insurance premium.

Greg Ryberg, R-Aiken says, “It’s the carrot instead of the stick approach,”.

Currently the state of South Carolina is ranked the ninth state when it comes to obesity. There are nearly 410,000 state employees. Statistics have shown that 30% of adults are considered to be obese. With this new incentive over 120,000 workers may be able to reduce their health insurance costs.

Whether or not you’re a state worker, one thing to know is health insurance rates are much lower for those who work hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Anyone can begin saving or maintaining a lower health insurance by eating healthy and exercising daily

The health issues that can come from being obese are many. While many just feel it’s a cosmetic problem, it’s really a health hazard. An overweight person is 40% more likely to die prematurely – compared to a person with a healthy weight. Just a few medical conditions that obesity is linked to include heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, gallstones and gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, gout and sleep apnea.
The old saying goes – take care of your body, your body will take care of you.