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The latest NHS statistics show two out of five adults are overweight, and a further one in five are obese.

From an adviser's point of view, this means 60 per cent of the clients you see will be over the recommended body mass index range of 18 to 25.

People with a BMI of 25 to 29 are classed as overweight. That means an average 5 feet 10 inches tall man who weighs 12-and-a-half stone is overweight, as is a 5 feet 5 inches tall woman weighing 11 stone.

Those with a BMI of 30 to 35 are classed as obese. If the same 5 feet 10 inches tall man weighs in at 15 stone, he slips into the obese category. If the 5 feet 5 inches tall woman tips the scales at 13 stone she becomes obese.

That is vital to keep in mind when offering protection insurance to your client alongside their mortgage.

Because weight gain increases the risk of disease, all insurers charge higher premiums to those who are very obese.

But the weight at which customers will pay more for protection cover varies massively between insurers.

Some start charging higher premiums as soon as a customer hits the overweight category – meaning that about 60 per cent of your clients who you put forward for those policies will not end up paying the low premium you see advertised on the portals.

Others have a more inclusive view about offering standard premiums to as many customers as possible, and therefore will not charge higher premiums to customers because they are overweight or obese.

The most generous insurers do not start charging higher premiums until the customer passes into the severely and morbidly obese categories, with a BMI over 36.

That is 18 stone for our man or 15-and-a-half stone for our woman.

So with any client who is not of model proportions, it is worth looking at the insurers who offer ordinary rates for customers with higher BMIs.

That way you increase the chance that the quote you provide the customer with is what they’ll actually be charged for their policy. And by doing this you can be confident you are truly treating your customers fairly.

Jamie McIver is director of protection sales for Axa