A survey from health insurance giant Axa, has revealed that one in fourteen people lie about their health when taking out health insurance, regardless of the fact that this may negate their policy.

The reasons for doing this were varied, some were attempting to pull the wool over their insurers eyes in a bid to secure a cheaper premium, while most were embarrassed about their health issues. A few claim that they simply forgot to mention minor health concerns, and others thought that certain problems were just 'not worth mentioning.'

Embarassment- common reason for lying

The most common reason for lying on a health insurance application was embarrassment, with over half of those who admitted to lying putting it down to the fact that they were embarrassed about certain aspects of their health and medical history. However, 17 per cent of those who lied said that they were worried that their application for health insurance might be rejected if they were truthful, so they chose to present themselves as healthier than they actually were.

On top of this, one in four people thought that their premiums would rise significantly if they made their health insurer aware of certain aspects of their medical history, especially concerning matters such as high blood pressure, previous drug use and high cholesterol.

For men, the most common lie was over the amount of alcohol they consume on an average week. 25 per cent of men admitted to deliberately underestimating their average intake of alcohol as they perceived themselves to be drinking more than health insurers would be happy with. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most common lie for women to make on their application for health insurance was over their weight. 11 per cent of women said that they lied about their weight while applying for health insurance, making themselves out to be 'a few pounds' lighter.

Smokers stretch the truth

Across both sexes, ten per cent of those taking out health insurance lied about the fact that they smoke. Many said that this was because they were planning to give up soon. Others also lied about having smoked in the past. 5 per cent of health insurance lies were about having suffered depression in the past, while a further three per cent chose to keep quiet about minor back problems which they previously had and still suffer from.

Iain Mallon, head of protection at AXA, encouraged telling the truth on health insurance applications, saying: "Most people quite rightly assume that insurance premiums are based on medical history and certain lifestyle elements.”

"What people wrongly assume is that these normal behaviours and typical medical conditions are based on that of a perfect person, one with a healthy lifestyle and no medical problems at all.”

"In the UK today 53% of people are overweight, one in five people suffer from depression, 80% of us suffer from some form of back pain and 50% of people have high cholesterol, which shows that the perceived perfection is not necessarily the average upon which insurance comparisons are based."