German doctors criticise “lifestyle pensions” that reward smoking and obesity

Doctors in Germany have voiced concerns about the introduction of so called lifestyle pensions, which “reward” unhealthy behaviour by offering higher annuities to groups of people, such as smokers and obese people, who may be expected to die earlier than average.

Rudolf Henke, the chairman of the Marburger Bund, the German hospital doctors’ society, said it was “ludicrous and cynical” to reward customers for risking their own health.

Lifestyle …