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The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has warned that new measures on food labelling proposed by the European Commission (EC) this week do not go far enough.

The EC’s plans, announced on Wednesday, would see manufacturers obliged to display six measures on food packaging, showing the levels of energy, total fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugar, and salts contained.

However, the scheme excludes alcoholic drinks and does not include the widely-supported "traffic light" system.

Ruairi O’Connor, policy and public affairs manager at the BHF, said: "We believe the European Commission should have gone a step further and backed mandatory colour coded traffic lights on food labels. Research shows that these are more effective than GDA labels in helping people see what’s in the food they buy."

The EC’s scheme has yet to be approved by the European Parliament and member states, and it could therefore be some time before they become law.

Mr O’Connor added: "We urge MEPs and policy makers in the UK to build on these proposals, and ensure traffic lights are applied on UK food products."

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity.

Life insurance companies play a role in encouraging customers to make healthy lifestyle changes, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has claimed.

According to the organisation, some providers focus on lifestyle tweaks that improve a person’s mortality and mobility.

"What insurers do is obviously look at demographic trends, but also they look at individual risks presented to them - it is a competitive market, and it will continue to remain competitive," explained a spokesperson for the organisation.

"Insurers have a role to play in encouraging people to adopt healthy lifestyles and recognise where people do adopt healthy lifestyles where that has an implication on their mortality," he added.

With long term life insurance contracts, the ABI’s representative explained, customers do not normally have to disclose changes in their circumstances after a policy has been taken out, providing all relevant information has been provided originally.

Recent ABI figures revealed that 40 per cent of UK households have life insurance, with the industry paying out £17 million in death benefits every day throughout 2006.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with medical conditions

Flourishing businesses can be hit hard if their key man or key person leaves, it has been suggested.

According to the Economic Times, the sudden departure of key professionals from a growing organisation can have a negative impact on its future prospects, making key man insurance a sensible consideration.

Because of their specialised skills, foresight and business acumen, a key man or key person is relied on to bring greater revenues, profits and brand-value to a firm.

"Simply put, key man insurance is a corporate-owned life insurance cover on key person/persons in a business – directors, key sales persons, key project managers or any person holding substantial responsibility and contributing significantly to the fortunes of that organisation," explained the financial publication.

When a company invests in a life insurance premium on a key employee, it becomes the beneficiary of the policy if that person dies unexpectedly; this arguably makes key person insurance invaluable for helping a company survive the blow of losing someone who "makes business happen".

Gersten Savage, one of New York’s top five independent law firms, recently highlighted that key man insurance is one notable aspect of a growing interest in best practices displayed by business managers.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with medical conditions

Wide differences between critical illness insurance policies and the conditions they cover mean individuals should do their homework before settling on a plan.

That is the conclusion of independent financial experts IFA Brokers, who have recommended that anyone seeking critical illness cover should do it sooner rather than later.

"Choosing the right plan can be tricky; policies vary widely in the illnesses they cover and simply opting for the cheapest plan can often offer limited cover," observed a spokesperson for the organisation.

"On the other hand, opting for a policy that covers everything from anthrax to yellow fever may not be the most appropriate. Policies that appear to cover every serious illness imaginable are sometimes merely an excuse for the insurer to charge higher premiums," the representative continued.

With serious illness affecting one in four women and one in five men before they reach retirement age, critical illness insurance is designed to ease financial pressures by paying a tax-free lump sum if an individual becomes seriously ill or disabled.

IFA Brokers noted that rises in claims and the cost of advances in medical technology have led many insurers to cut back on the conditions they cover, or to impose restrictions on what counts as a critical illness.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with medical conditions

A woman suffering with a tumour in her brain has been told her condition is not covered by her critical illness policy.

Mary Ryan’s insurer informed her that the tumour, for which she may need treatment for the rest of her life, is the "wrong kind", reports the Observer.

According to the newspaper, Ms Ryan’s £100-a-month lifetime cover with Skandia was intended to pay for her mortgage in the event of a serious illness.

After being diagnosed with a benign growth-hormone-secreting pituitary tumour, she had it partially removed and then targeted with radiation, although she has been left with some residual tumour.

Insurance company Skandia rejected Ms Ryan’s subsequent claim on the grounds of a technicality that "cancers in the body must be malignant", with tumours in the pituitary gland or spine excluded.

"Skandia’s critical illness contract is designed to pay an accelerated benefit on the diagnosis of a critical life-changing event," a spokesperson for the firm told the Observer.

"If adequately treated, pituitary tumours are not considered to be life-threatening and should not result in any significant long-term disability," the representative continued.

Ms Ryan’s neurosurgeon, Michael Powell, pointed out to the paper that although her tumour was benign, the company’s restriction is "totally unreasonable".

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with medical conditions

Winter sports fans have been warned to get fit to avoid insurance difficulties after they hit the slopes.

According to the latest research from Halifax Travel Insurance, more than a third of the UK’s winter adventure-seekers were "woefully out of shape" for last year’s trips.

"We process a significant number of claims each year from skiers and boarders that have been forced to cut their winter holiday short as a result of an injury," explained Paul Birkhead, senior manager of pricing and underwriting for Halifax Travel Insurance.

"Clearly prevention is better than the cure, and a few months of pre-holiday training can help you to cope with the strain of winter sports, as well as to build up your stamina," he continued.

Those polled by the insurer who had injured themselves through a lack of fitness lost an average of four days away from the slopes to look after their injuries.

Insurance experts recommend that people with high-risk jobs or hobbies thoroughly explore their cover options.

A large proportion of adventure enthusiasts recently admitted that they make up cover on credit cards or home insurance deals.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with high risk jobs or hobbies

People with pre-existing medical conditions ought to talk to specialist insurers when looking for the best travel insurance deal, it has been claimed.

According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), travellers who have been diagnosed with cancer often find it difficult to find cover as the average high street policy is designed as "one size fits all".

"It doesn’t provide cover for people with pre-existing medical conditions, so it excludes them from medical cover," confirmed the ABI’s Kelly Ostler.

"When you have extra needs, be it a pre-existing medical condition such as cancer, or you are going on a winter sports holiday then you need to look at a different policy," she continued.

"There are plenty of specialist insurers out there, so it is a case of going to one of those, and shopping around."

In June 2006, research carried out by the charity Cancerbackup found that 70 per cent of sufferers who tried to find travel insurance found the experience distressing, while 90 per cent found it difficult or impossible to find cover at all.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with medical conditions

Employers have been encouraged to help "financially educate" workers and enable them to explore options including life insurance and critical illness cover.

As My Budget Day approaches on November 21st, an AXA roundtable debate concluded that such financial education would contribute to improving the nation’s finances.

"My Budget Day does not involve any product push. Employees are left to their own devices and can draw their own conclusions on what they should do next," explained Paul Evans, the life insurance provider’s chief executive.

AXA wants employers to help their employees "kick-start the financial planning habit" by allowing them to spend the first hour of My Budget Day reviewing their finances in the workplace.

A report from fellow provider Norwich Union recently showed that many Britons do not give enough thought to safeguarding their financial futures through solutions such as life insurance, critical illness cover or unemployment protection.

According to AXA, which has already pledged an hour to its 12,000 employees for them to re-evaluate their financial health, money is one of the major causes of stress for adults and as such it is a major cause of employee absenteeism, with the annual cost of stress to UK plc estimated at around £9.6 billion.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with medical conditions

A growing number of US residents are filing for bankruptcy as a result of suffering from a critical illness.

Writing for the Best Syndication website, Stan Kingstone highlighted a recent study from Harvard University which revealed that half of the country’s bankruptcies came about because of critical illness.

Pointing out that critical illness insurance provides a lump-sum payment if an individual suffers from a serious condition such as cancer, stroke, paralysis or a heart attack, Mr Kingstone stated that the need for such cover is increasing.

"Now that medical progress and early detection are helping more people live through serious illnesses, people need to plan for how they’re going to financially survive the aftermath," Marlene Jupiter, an author and personal finance expert, told the writer.

"Many people aren’t aware of the financial consequence of surviving a critical illness, especially if they’re unable to work for an extended period of time while they recover," she added.

UK insurance provider Norwich Union recently reported an increase in its critical illness payouts, attributing the rise to new initiatives intended to reduce the number of people who do not disclose existing medical conditions on their protection application forms.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with medical conditions

Insurance provider AXA has abolished automatic general practitioner report (GPR) limits for life insurance and critical illness customers under the age of 45.

Marking the firm’s response to feedback from financial advisers regarding the lengthy delays caused by obtaining the reports, automatic GPR limits for under-45s’ income protection applications will also increase to £50,000.

The insurer has outlined its aim to make greater use of nurse screenings or blood tests, which are on average two weeks quicker than a GPR.

"Our market-leading tele-underwriting process means the need for GPRs is significantly reduced and in the light of lengthy delays and spiralling costs of GPRs we’ve decided to break away from their automatic use for younger ages," confirmed Mike Taylor, chief underwriter at AXA.

"For younger lives, especially those who do not have any medical problems, a screening provides an underwriter with a better view of their health including build, habits and blood pressure," he added.

AXA has emphasised that this also provides a second opportunity for customers to reveal any medical information, further reducing non-disclosure.

Fellow provider Legal and General recently made all its life insurance products exempt from the ongoing duty of disclosure the company said was "often seen as a burden."

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with medical conditions