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An "obesity penalty" has been talked about before in order to offset the costs incurred in medical insurance, but now Alabama group health insurance might be the first to actually implement such a plan.

WebMD reports that obese Alabama state workers may soon pay a group health insurance penalty for excess weight. In January of 2009 employees will be weighed, and will have a year to get in shape if their BMI (body mass index) is too high. The penalty for those who don't? About $25 per month more in premiums.

Critics of the plan argue that such a penalty amounts to discrimination, and that there are many factors, including genetics, that play into an individual's health.

But those who support the plan argue that the costs of obesity are making it difficult to maintain a good group health insurance plan for employees. Alabama now ranks as the second most obese state in the U.S., and the costs of obesity in health care are very high.

Whether there will be legal ramifications to the implementation of the penalty remains to be seen, but for now state employers view this as a preventable problem that could save them millions a year.