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At msnbc.msn.com, a Hartford Connecticut insurance agency is offering up to 20% reductions in life insurance premiums for customers with low body-mass index (BMI). With the rising number of obesity related deaths in America, could more affordable health insurance be available under the same terms?

Your BMI is a measure of your body fat based on height and weight. A BMI between 19 and 25 is considered healthy, while The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines obesity as a BMI of 30 or more; people between 25 and 30 are considered overweight.

Nearly one-third, or 32% of adult Americans, are considered obese.

And it's costly; the bill for obesity related death and disease is predicted to top $100 billion dollars, half of which will be paid by an already strained Medicare system. So, it's not hard to predict that affordable health insurance premiums will someday be available to those who maintain a healthy BMI.

But unfortunately, this will also mean that those individuals who really need medical coverage aren't likely to get it. The costs of health insurance are already outrageous, and should an obese person face even higher premiums, the likelihood that they will received adequate care will go down.

It is undoubtedly best to stay healthy, which is the best way to avoid health problems. But all people need affordable health insurance to protect them in their time of need.