According to a recent survey almost a quarter of UK citizens are over weight but, says Cancer research UK, 25% of these are simply not interested in losing weight. We are in fact the second most obese nation in Europe, second only to Greece.

This not only concerns the UK Government, who have just announced a concerted campaign to tackle the problem via GP's, but also the life insurance industry.

The problem is that many people are still sensitive about their weight. Sensitive to the extent that they'll convince themselves that they're sticking to a diet when they are patently not. The loss of a pound or two occasions celebration, whereas the same two pounds going back the next day remains unannounced. Ring any bells for you?

Well normally, a porky or two about your true weight doesn't harm anyone - other than perhaps yourself. But now life insurance companies are having to take a much closer interest. They suspect that lots of people are telling lies about their weight on their life insurance applications.

Consequently, Scottish Provident, one of Britain's biggest life insurers, is tightening up its application procedures. Now, as well as asking applicants how much they weigh, they'll be asking when they last weighed themselves. It's an attempt to encourage applicants to answer more accurately rather than pluck a figure out of thin air or being economical with the truth.

A spokesman for the insurer said,