Life insurance for overweight people

Do life insurance companies need to know your weight?

Yes, but weight itself isn’t necessarily the biggest driver of your premium. Generally, what insurers are looking at is your height-to-weight ratio, which can help determine if you qualify as overweight or obese in a medical sense. A policyholder’s weight is often critical information to life insurance companies because weight can sometimes result from other diseases like Cushing’s disease, hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and insulin resistance. Excess body weight can also make you more likely to develop serious health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. Therefore, life insurance companies typically look at your body mass index (BMI), which includes both your height and weight measurements, to assess whether you might be a high-risk applicant due to your weight.

“Build is by far one of the most common factors that knock people out of preferred underwriting classes for life insurance,” says Michael C. Staeb, Insurance Planning Consultant and an independent wholesaler with 20 years experience. “Medical studies have shown that the extra weight does cause additional long-term strain on the heart. This is true of overweight individuals where the extra weight is not fat, but instead muscle.

“Another reason build is such an important factor in life insurance underwriting has to do with higher prevalence of developing chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease if [you are] overweight for an extended period.”

The CDC offers guidelines for calculating overweight and obesity by using body mass index. For comparison purposes, the tables below show how BMI correlates to a weight range for a 5-foot-9-inch adult.

Keep in mind, though, that BMI is an imperfect tool. While it can be helpful, it can also be misleading. For example, a senior who has lost muscle tone may have an “underweight” BMI while a muscular athlete may have an “overweight” BMI, despite both persons being healthy. This is because BMI is only taking height and weight into account without consideration for body composition. If you’re wanting a more accurate measurement of your body composition, you may be able to have a scan completed that will break down your body’s bone, muscle and fat tissue amounts and ratios.

Body mass index range

*Per CDC categorization

Categories of obesity, per BMI

With a high BMI, insurance rates may be higher. However, while your BMI can be a valuable tool in assessing your weight for insurance purposes, it still does not replace the need for a personal medical assessment and ongoing care, should you require it. If you are concerned about your weight or have questions about your body mass index, consider scheduling an appointment with your health provider.

In addition to your BMI, additional factors may impact the cost of your life insurance.

• Weight-related conditions: Excessive weight gain often becomes a detriment to your health if left unaddressed. The CDC reports that obesity can negatively impact mental health, while also leaving you open to other leading causes of disease, such as diabetes and heart disease.
• Lifestyle habits: Drinking and smoking are examples of unhealthy habits that could significantly endanger your health and increase your risk, potentially impacting the cost of your life insurance premium.
• Family medical history: An insurer will likely ask you to provide information regarding your family’s medical history, including any conditions or diseases that have caused death. This information is usually considered in addition to your own health when setting rates.

Victor Vega, a licensed life insurance agent and the founder of Garden Mutual, described the typical medical exam considerations: “Insurance companies will use lab results from urine [and] blood to determine insurability based on detecting tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, medication dosage, blood sugar levels, cancer levels, HIV/AIDS and other chronic or acute conditions.”

There are also some states where obesity is especially prevalent. These states have an obesity rate of 35 percent or higher:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Wisconsin
• West Virginia

Will being overweight impact life insurance rates?

Life insurance rates for obese adults and overweight people are typically higher than for someone with a lower weight. However, insurance companies will consider multiple other health factors, such as your blood pressure, cholesterol and whether you smoke.

“While there are a couple niche carriers that offer products with no height and weight requirement, every other carrier with competitive rates [usually] does take weight into consideration when determining the cost of life insurance,” says Gordon Conwell, owner of the Gordon E. Conwell Associates, Inc. insurance agency. “The potential for health issues caused by being overweight is why life insurance companies may charge more or may even decline you for life insurance.”

“The reason insurance companies use weight in determining rates is because obesity is considered a high mortality risk,” says Vega of Garden Mutual. “Insurance companies rely on data tracked by actuaries to determine rates based on height versus weight.”

Based on these factors, you are often quoted according to the following life insurance classifications:

Insurance companies will typically use table ratings to determine the price of life insurance for high-risk applicants. Your policy could be rated with table ratings if you don’t qualify for standard coverage. These ratings are considered substandard and result in higher premiums.

What is no medical exam life insurance?

Medical exams are a common requirement when you want to obtain a new life insurance policy. However, the process may be difficult or tedious for those with health issues. Because of this, some people choose to seek out no-exam life insurance, an alternative that could be an option if you have trouble qualifying for a traditional insurance policy.

“This allows applicants to apply online or over the phone and get approved without providing blood sample[s] and urine samples,” explains Vega. “This type of life insurance usually costs more due to the higher level of risk the insurance company is taking.”

For applicants who are overweight, no-exam life insurance often offers factors of convenience, flexibility and affordability. By purchasing no-exam insurance, you could bypass the exam process and complete a health questionnaire instead. Although it may not be a perfect solution and has its own set of pros and cons, no-exam life insurance could be suitable depending on your situation.

No-exam life insurance pros

• No medical tests: The biggest perk of no-exam insurance is that you have the option to skip the usual requisite blood and urine tests that are typically associated with medical exams.
• Faster approval: No-exam insurance may allow you to purchase life insurance without the wait times that come with scheduling, attending and then awaiting the results of your medical appointment.
• More accessible: Some people have a deep fear of needles and others may experience anxiety when visiting the doctor, which may make no-exam insurance an appealing option.

No-exam life insurance cons

• More expensive: Offering insurance without a medical exam means that the insurer is taking on more risk. You’ll typically pay a higher premium to compensate for that risk.
• Limited coverage: Often, no-exam life insurance does not offer as many choices for coverage as a traditional policy. There are usually fewer riders as well.

Should you lose weight before buying life insurance?

It depends on your unique situation and needs. If age is a concern, it might make sense to buy a policy now and reconsider your needs if weight loss is part of your health plans. If it makes sense to hold off on buying a policy and you plan to lose weight imminently, you may get lower rates with a lower BMI. Talking to a licensed life insurance agent may help you better understand your needs and if you should buy a policy now or wait.

Life insurance after recent weight loss

The length of time since you’ve lost weight may be a consideration when applying for life insurance. If your weight loss was more recent, your insurer may still charge higher rates because your recent medical history would reveal your higher weight. Essentially, the longer you’ve had of maintaining a lower BMI, the more likely it is that you’ll qualify for a lower rate.

How you’ve lost weight could also be a factor in your premiums. If you’ve lost weight via surgical intervention, like gastric bypass surgery, you may have higher premiums or even be denied coverage (at least for a period of time) due to the risk of complications from the procedure.

Reapplying after weight loss

If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight and you already have life insurance in place, you may want to consider applying for a new policy. If you have a term policy, you may decide to wait until the end of your term, or you could apply for new coverage and replace the policy (which would also apply if your policy is permanent). Be sure to discuss this with a licensed agent or financial advisor, as replacing a life insurance policy can be complex.

You could also ask your life insurance company to reconsider your new health statistics. However, most rates are “locked in” and can’t be changed during the life of the policy, whether it’s term or permanent. Reconsideration will depend on your company’s own underwriting guidelines. 

Frequently asked questions