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UK insurers were preparing Sunday to use people’s Facebook profiles and online spending habits as a way of setting premiums based on their lifestyles.

Studies for the insurers suggested that applicants' online data detailing food purchases, activities and social groups could be as good an indicator of life expectancy as conventional medical examinations.

Aviva, one of Britain’s largest insurers, was planning to introduce the so-called predictive modeling in the UK next year after studying the results of trials in America. Swiss Re was also working on a similar program.

The trials were conducted by Deloitte Consulting LLP and showed that consumer data, based on a sample of 60,000 people, was as effective in identifying potential health risks as if the applicant went for blood and urine tests.

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