Gym Alliance weighs in to Australian health insurers

Online, March 7, 2010 (Newswire.com) - With Australian government figures now showing that one in every two Australians is overweight, Gym Alliance founder Stuart Grover has weighed into the problem calling upon Australian health insurance companies to take a leaf out of their UK and European counterparts' books.

Grover, who fronts an independent coalition of 70 nationally-spread gyms, said that despite Australian government efforts to get people to become more healthy, this country and the UK/Europe seemed to be going in opposite directions.

In the UK/Europe, he said, it has become commonplace for health insurers to offer premium discounts to those of their clients opting to lead healthier lives.

"While companies in the UK are offering up to 75 per cent off health insurance premiums for people demonstrating a commitment to exercise, Australia is adding further restrictions on subsidies.

"This in effect means that that only health insurance memberships which are prescribed by a GP for the prevention or relief of a specific health condition can get access to subsidies," he said.

"And this only applies to top rates of cover.

"This situation flies directly in the face of what the Australian government is trying to do - and spending millions of dollars of tax payers' dollars on prime time TV and print advertising in the process."

Mr Grover said the introduction of the discounted insurance policies in Britain and Europe came as a direct result of governments in the northern hemisphere reacting quickly to what he described as an "explosion" in the obesity rate.

"Under certain schemes in the UK, customers an earn premium reductions simply by buying fruit and vegetables at certain supermarket chains.

Others offer clients preferred rates if they take more than 10,000 steps a day - measured by pedometers - or attend a gym at least twice a week.

"People giving up smoking, cutting down on alcohol and buying sports equipment also receive benefits under the UK/Europe schemes.

"There is nothing in this country that encourages people along these lines."

Mr Grover said it was very sad and extremely worrying that per capita, Australia was now listed as the fattest nation on the planet.

"The government has obviously recognised this and is trying to do something about it.

"The health insurance companies on the other hand seem more fixated on the bottom line than they do on helping people to get healthy.

"And until they do, the situation is only going to get worse," he said.

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For more information, please contact: Stuart Grover on 0417 064644.

Founded in 2005 the Gym Alliance is a confederation of independently operated gyms throughout New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and the ACT.

Released on behalf of the Gym Alliance by Mike Parker-Brown