The Cost of Being Overweight

If you're overweight, you have more to worry about than just your health. Learn why being overweight makes life insurance more expensive.

Obesity Epidemic

Aside from shopping around, the way to find low life insurance quotes is to make sure you're in good health in an insurer's eyes. Given the epidemic of obesity in America, this is easier said than done. A stunning 127 million Americans are overweight, 60 million are obese, and 9 million are morbidly obese. The issue has caught the attention of lawmakers and others, as the FDA pushes for stricter nutritional labeling and TV shows like "The Biggest Loser" have begun championing the cause to get fit. Life insurers are also strong supporters of a trim waistline, as overweight people have higher mortality rates and thus represent more financial risk as policyholders.

How Weight Affects Your Premiums

The size of your waist is directly correlated to your mortality risk, so life insurers are particularly concerned with the weight of life insurance applicants. Ideally, life insurers want all policyholders to enjoy long and healthy lives, so they reward weight loss with low life insurance quotes. The good news is many overweight people are on the verge of earning the best life insurance rates if they just lose a moderate amount of weight through small lifestyle adjustments. The more you weigh in relation to your height, the more you will pay on your life insurance premiums.

Physical Build & Premiums

To get the best low life insurance quotes possible, you will need to keep your height-to-weight ratio in the ideal range given by your insurer. These tables are usually available on insurers' websites or can be obtained through an agent. If you already have a policy but have recently lost weight, it's important to notify your insurer because you may now qualify for better premiums. If your insurer does not reward your weight loss with reduced premiums, you might want to shop around for another carrier.

Insurers use various health ratios to determine premiums, so, if you're overweight according to one insurer, you might consider shopping around for better low life insurance quotes and coverage. You can also request a life insurance medical exam to speed up the process. On the up side, once you have qualified for a certain policy and premiums, your rates are locked in, which means your rates will not go up if you gain weight.