[Wookie]

Originally Posted by SebC

If the motivation for this is to increase participation in organized sports, it's a good idea. But for giving people an incentive to keep in shape? Just make it a credit for:

non-smoker
not underweight or overweight

And you're way more likely to make that back in healthcare dollars saved. Not sure how I'd make the logistics work though.

Originally Posted by Science Guy;

In a paper published online Monday in the Public Library of Science Medicine journal, Dutch researchers found that from age 20 to 56, obese people racked up the most expensive health costs. But because both the smokers and the obese people died sooner than the healthy group, it cost less to treat them in the long run.

On average, healthy people lived 84 years. Smokers lived about 77 years, and obese people lived about 80 years. Ultimately, the thin and healthy group cost the most, about $417,000, from age 20 on. The cost of care for obese people was $371,000, and for smokers, about $326,000

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle.../15293006.html