According to reports many Britons make themselves sick with worry over their health and as such request additional, appropriate health insurance cover.

A report from an annual survey from BUPA has stated that the very exercise of worrying about health is actually causing health problems for some UK policyholders, including sleepness nights and erratic eating habits. Out of 1000 UK adults, 40% which works out to 19 million have been found to worry about their health every day, with a further 30% worrying at least once a week. 

Reasons

Dr. Paula Franklin, deputy medical director at BUPA UK Health Insurance, commented: “Many factors are behind Britain’s growing health concerns. The most important and positive factor is rising health awareness, with many people now wanting to know more about their health and how to look after it. We are seeing this through increasing numbers of visitors to our free health web pages and more people investing in health assessments to monitor their wellbeing. With this increasing interest in health, however, comes a growing awareness of health problems and illnesses – such as cancer, heart disease and obesity – which were the top three health worries identified by BUPA’s 2007 Worry Report.”

Dr. Franklin has reiterated however the ways that we, as the general public, can take our own health issues in hand and reduce unnecessary stress.

Reduction

By confiding in friends and family Britons can relieve some of the pressure, avoiding high caffeine and alcohol intake will also assist a good night’s sleep, eating a balanced diet to help the body cope with the stress, regular exercise as well as taking out a distracting hobby are all ways suggested to help stressed out Britons.

Dr. Franklin said: “The report highlights that almost a quarter of worriers are taking no action to deal with their anxieties and, as a result, their health is being affected. If you are experiencing frequent sleepless nights, loss of appetite or reduced interest in sex, or you are finding yourself turning to alcohol to forget about your problems, your worrying could be spiralling out of control. It is important you address your anxiety before your health is affected further.”

Other expert insiders commented, including David Royle of CS Healthcare. “The public is sometimes presented as being unconcerned about their health, which is clearly not the case at all. Although it is expected for people to be worried about pain or death, it is disappointing that issues like waiting times, cleanliness and cost are causing concern. Many people turn to private medical insurance for peace of mind, knowing that they will have access to the best doctors quickly and that the insurer will meet costs.”