Women who are shopping around for female friendly life and health insurance deals are lying about their weight in a bid to keep their premiums down, according to new research.

A study by Axa has found 11 per cent of female insurance applicants have stretched the truth about their weight.

Some 65 per cent of those women questioned said they were just too embarrassed to reveal personal information when applying for life and health insurance.

Axa said the reason people feel compelled to mislead their insurers is based on inaccurate perceptions.

Iain Mallon, head of protection at Axa, claimed people do not need to be in perfect physical condition to qualify for life or health insurance.

However, he warned if people were dishonest when filling in application forms they may find they invalidated their cover.

He stated: "Insurance policies are there to protect people in times of need, without this reassurance in place, people may find themselves in a very difficult position."

In other news, the AA has said not all motorists will be put off by the legal penalties of driving without car insurance.

Find out where women drivers shop for female friendly garage services at MOT, car servicing and repair times.

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