Life Insurance for Overweight Applicants

Obesity has become a serious global problem, and this health condition is on the rise in India as well. Not only do you need a major lifestyle change if you are suffering from obesity, but you would also want to protect yourself from the other bigger problems that obesity brings with it. Fortunately, there are some life insurance options to provide financial security and stability that can be availed to look into health issues caused by obesity.

What is obesity?

It is a medical condition, which causes multiple health hazards. The Body Mass Index (BMI) of an individual is the ratio of the person’s weight to height. A BMI of 30 is considered to be the threshold for obesity. If an individual has a BMI between 25 to 30, he or she is considered to be overweight.

Various reasons can result in obesity and they can be genetic or a result of another health condition. Obesity can also occur due to bad metabolism, junk food, and an inactive lifestyle. It can result in diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension, angina, respiratory issues, and various other health problems that can effectively shorten your life.

Hence, if you are obese, you need to consider buying life insurance for overweight people. Your weight can certainly impact your life insurance premium, and therefore, before buying a life cover, you must understand how your body weight affects the premium.

Life insurance premium for overweight people

If you are overweight, you might want a life insurance that demands slightly higher premium than the normal ones. As you might know, the premium of your policy depends upon your health. If you are healthy you get to enjoy the benefits.

If not, you might have to pay a higher premium and get the same cover as a fit person might get. A life policy for obese people may not offer the same benefits that a fitter person can enjoy, but you would get the financial protection you might need in some cases for treatments included in the policy document.

How can obesity affect the life insurance premium?

When it comes to life insurance for overweight female or male policyholders, finding a cheap option is never easy. The insurance companies use the BMI chart in order to determine how much premium you have to pay. So, if you are somewhere on the lower side of the overweight range, you can expect to be offered a reasonable premium. However, if your weight is on the higher side of the BMI chart, your life insurance premium will be more expensive. The weight directly affects the premium as many insurers increase the premium by a certain percentage for obesity.

Why do agencies check BMI before calculating premiums?

BMI is a measurement of body fat and a reliable indicator of your risk of diseases associated with excess body fat. Insurance agencies check the BMI status because the premium rates heavily depend on the policyholder’s risk profile. Higher the risk, higher the premium and vice versa.

Can the premium be reduced?

One intelligent way to reduce the premium is by buying a life insurance policy online. The insurance industry is a competitive market, and that can work to your advantage. You can compare the different policies of life insurance for an overweight person online to find an affordable product. Buying a policy through digital means will help you in paying a lower premium as compared to purchasing life insurance offline.

That said, the smartest thing you can actually do today is to buy the life insurance policy you can get, and then work towards improving your health. This way, you will be able to achieve your ideal BMI over the course of a few years, post which, you can apply for a new policy that comes with an affordable premium.