The practical effect of obesity on the insured life--relative risks associated with obesity and various disease states--"the imparied life".

The 1979 Build and Blood Pressure Study was based on 4,200,000 North American life assurance policies issued after medical examinations between 1950 and 1971 and studied over the period of 1954 to 1972. The experience included 106,000 deaths. The study investigated the mortality experience of overweight lives assured by cause of death. Actual mortality was significantly above that expected for the following causes: diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular disease, coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease. The implications of these observations are discussed.