BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared: the result -- the body mass index (BMI) -- will help determine how much you pay for life insurance.
Life insurers in China can charge obese people, whose BMIs go beyond 30 for men and 28.6 for women, up to 200 percent more than normal premiums, as scientific research shows they are more likely to get ill.
However, all Chinese -- fat or thin -- will have to pay the medical costs of those who eat to excess if waistlines continue to expand, says Chen Junshi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most Chinese are not yet subject to this differentiated rating system as they mainly rely on the government-run basic medical insurance system that charges uniform premiums for all.
Under the national medical insurance system, which covers 1.2 billion people, employers and employees jointly contribute to the insurance fund, and the proportion of the cost varies from area to area.
In Beijing, for example, employers have to pay 10 percent of each worker's monthly income, while each employee contributes 2 percent of their income plus 3 yuan (44 U.S. cents).
