Britons frequently lie about their health

by Richard Kilner

Story link: Britons frequently lie about their health

A report by Norwich Union has discovered that Britons are less than wholly truthful when it comes to telling prospective employers or dates about the healthiness of their lifestyles.

Close to 50% claimed to be non-smokers, or thinner/fitter than they actually are.

The report found that 80% of people consider a healthy appearance to make someone look more attractive, with 28% saying that they did not believe they would be able to get a partner if they told the truth about their health.

Another 40% reported that they believed their prospects of acquiring a perfect job would be damaged by telling the truth.

However, it is not merely employers and potential partners that are regularly lied to. Both friends and family are often deceived, and so too are doctors.

More than a third frequently ‘improve’ their weight (36%), whilst 28% make false claims about how much they exercise and/or how much junk food they consume.

Other bad habits regularly lied about include smoking (14%) and the quantity of alcohol they drink (24%).

Corinne Sweet, a psychologist, explains the findings by stating that people do not want to address the truth, or may be overwhelmed by embarrassment or guilt.

Some individuals are endangering their own health by such deceit, she went on, as their misleading statements could conceal a serious medical problem that would otherwise be detected.

The strongest cause for lying appears to be social, with 90% saying they feel a need to be seen as healthy.

Form-filling is considered to be the single activity most prone to bring out lying, with 15% confessing to filling in inaccurate answers for insurance policies.

Norwich Union’s director of protection, Willie Mowatt, sympathises with the sentiments of those who feel pressured to lie, but encourages them not to do so. False information can be dangerous to the individual’s health, and will also render any insurance acquired through deceit null and void.