Life insurance rates are typically higher if you’re overweight or obese since insurers take into account your weight and height when setting premiums.
However, unless you have severe weight-related health issues, such as limited mobility due to being morbidly obese, you’re unlikely to be rejected for coverage. If you’re an athlete or for some reason have a high BMI but low body fat percentage, you will likely be able to receive credits from an insurer to qualify for the best life insurance ratings.
How your weight impacts life insurance rates
Insurers determine your rating category, and therefore the prices you qualify for, based in part on a build chart that’s similar to a BMI calculation. Typically, the rating categories are:
- Preferred Plus: People in excellent health with no history of medical issues. If you’re over the ideal weight for your height by more than a few pounds, you’re unlikely to receive this rating.
- Preferred: If you have had a minor medical issue or have a family history of moderate conditions, but are otherwise in great health, you’ll likely qualify for a Preferred rating. There’s often a Preferred category for smokers that would otherwise qualify for the best rates except for their tobacco usage.
- Standard Plus: Typically includes those in good health but that have a negative family history or a single condition that exempts them from qualifying for a Preferred rating.
- Standard: People of average health that may have a couple of common but manageable issues, like high cholesterol or blood pressure. There’s also a Standard rating for smokers. If you’re quite overweight, and particularly if you’re obese, you’ll likely receive a Standard rating.
- Table Ratings: High-risk applicants. Unless you have a very high BMI, it’s unlikely you’d receive a table rating for life insurance based on your weight alone.
A life insurance company will have minimum and maximum weight limits for a given height for each rating category. Your gender and age may also be taken into consideration. Since the range of acceptable height-to-weight ratios for men is higher, some insurers, including Allstate, Mutual of Omaha, and Prudential, use a unisex weight chart, which is advantageous to women who may be a few pounds overweight.
Because the ideal weight range for a given height is broader as you get older, other insurers take age into account, which is advantageous for younger applicants who are a little overweight.
To provide you with a feeling of how extra security organizations survey your weight, underneath are test satisfactory level and weight limits for MetLife inclusion. As you can see, you might be eligible for the best rating category even if your BMI isn’t ideal.
Most of the time, overweight people can get cheap life insurance because of other issues with their build rather than just their weight.
| Height | Gender | Preferred Plus | Preferred | Standard Plus | Standard |
| 5’0″ | Male | 144 | 150 | 164 | 204 |
| Female | 139 | 144 | 157 | 204 | |
| 5’3″ | Male | 156 | 162 | 180 | 218 |
| Female | 151 | 157 | 169 | 218 | |
| 5’6″ | Male | 170 | 175 | 197 | 236 |
| Female | 164 | 170 | 185 | 236 | |
| 5’9″ | Male | 182 | 188 | 215 | 256 |
| Female | 178 | 183 | 199 | 256 | |
| 6’0″ | Male | 199 | 204 | 232 | 278 |
| Female | 194 | 199 | 216 | 278 | |
| 6’3″ | Male | 215 | 220 | 249 | 302 |
| Female | 211 | 215 | 234 | 302 |
Height and weight limits in this chart are based on the underwriting guidelines for Metropolitan Life. The company’s build table is unisex for Standard ratings, which is why the weight limit is the same for both genders. Weight limits assume the applicant is at least 18, as the range changes based on age.
How does the life insurer know your weight?
Life insurance applications ask for height and weight, and those numbers will be verified when you take your life insurance medical exam. But don’t plan to go on a crash diet to lose 20 pounds just before the exam to get a better price.
Life insurers can pull applicants’ medical records to look at previous weights, along with past and current medical conditions. How your weight is trending is more important than your weight at a single point.
How to get the best life insurance rates if you’re overweight
When applying for life insurance, you’ll be asked about your health and lifestyle, and the insurer will check your answers against your physician’s records and medical exam. While you should always be honest, one of the simplest ways to help ensure you get the best life insurance rates is to include all relevant information related to your health regimen. If you adhere to a consistent diet and exercise program, are monitored by your doctor on a regular basis, and have had no weight-related issues, you’re likely to qualify for a good life insurance rating.
Often, if you are overweight but have no other issues in your application, you will still qualify for the best life insurance rates. Even applicants with a high BMI who are categorized as obese can get a good rating—for instance, if you’re 5’9″ and 210 pounds, you can qualify for a Preferred rating at Prudential. It’s usually weight-related complications, such as diabetes or a family history of heart attacks, that will cause a poor rating.