Nearly one-third of Americans believe overweight and obese individuals should be penalized for their unhealthy habits and more than half say smokers should pay more for their health insurance, according to a Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll.

About 31 percent of respondents say overweight or obese individuals should pay more for health insurance than individuals with a normal weight. About 11 percent even said they thought it was acceptable to deny employment to those heavier individuals.

But a much larger percentage (60 percent) believes smokers should pay the higher price. This view was more prevalent as respondents' age, income, and level of education increased.

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