Obesity Life Insurance

Classed as ‘Overweight or Obese’ and looking for Life Insurance?

Your Life Protected specialise in securing affordable Life Insurance for people who have a high BMI and are classed overweight or obese. We have a huge amount of knowledge and experience in this area meaning we can quickly identify the most appropriate cover for your needs. Our long-term relationships with the UK’s top insurers means we know who is likely to be most understanding with your individual circumstances saving you a great deal time, energy and money.

Most Life Insurance providers in the UK have different underwriting rules when it comes to BMI; some will be much more lenient than others, and some will have additional requirements (e.g. medicals & Dr’s reports). We will take time to talk through your situation, assess your needs and make recommendations on the best available policies.

Challenges in Securing Life Insurance with Obesity or High BMI

Although being overweight or obese is a relatively common in the UK, insurers may view this as an increased health risk. This perception often stems from:

  • Increased Risk of Health Problems: Insurers may be concerned about the potential risk of conditions such as; Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, and Sleep Apnoea or Stroke (to name a few)
  • BMI Thresholds: Insurers typically have BMI thresholds, and the higher your BMI, the more expensive your premium will be. If your BMI exceeds an insurers maximum, cover will be refused altogether.
  • Lack of Transparency: Many clients may have been refused cover, but many insurance companies do not detail the reason why (for example, you have exceeded their maximum BMI).
  • Personal Information Required: The insurers need to ask several personal questions to form an accurate picture. This process can be invasive and cause clients to feel uncomfortable.
  • Underwriting Variability: As some insurers are more comfortable with certain BMIs or those with medical conditions, it can make the underwriting process even more difficult to predict the costs, or likelihood of obtaining cover.

Today, the process of determining whether someone is Overweight is by calculating Body Mass Index (BMI). This is done by dividing your weight by your height.

BMI ranges are defined as follows:

  • Underweight = below 17
  • Normal = 18 – 25
  • Overweight = 25 – 30
  • Obese = 30 – 40
  • Morbidly Obese = over 40

If you’re unsure of your BMI, you can use our BMI Calculator below.

Calculate your BMI

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Weight ()

Your BMI is:

  • If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range
  • If your BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, it falls within the normal or Healthy Weight range
  • If your BMI is 25.0 to 29.9, it falls within the overweight range
  • If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obese range

Life Insurance for Higher BMI Cases
BMI limits vary hugely from insurer to insurer in the UK, so knowing where to look is key!

If you have a Body Mass Index (BMI) that is considered high or are managing obesity, securing life insurance might be a key concern. It is vital to ensure your family are protected financially, but it can sometimes feel difficult to get affordable cover. At Your Life Protected, we believe that everyone deserves access to robust financial protection, regardless of their weight or BMI. We specialise in assisting people with pre-existing conditions and high BMI’s, by securing competitive premiums, from a range of trusted insurers.

How Your Life Protected Can Simplify Your Application

We aim to take away all the stress of finding cover for your specific circumstances, by providing you with:

  • In-depth Expertise: With our specialist team, we can guide you through the process, and ensure you are providing all the right information to insurers.
  • Access to Specialist Insurers: We will make sure your application is viewed by the correct insurers, with a proven track record of covering those with a higher BMI.
  • A Personal Touch: We will listen to your specific needs and ensure your policy is tailored to fit your circumstances.
  • Dedicated Support: We manage the application process from start to finish, and are available to answer your questions at any time.
  • Clear and Honest Advice: We are open and transparent, and aim to take the confusion out of the process.
  • Free & No-Obligation Quotes: You can compare quotes at any time, and there is no-obligation to proceed with any policy we recommend.

Information Insurers Need

As part of the application process, we will need to ask you for the following information:

  • Height and Weight: Your current height and weight, in order for them to calculate your BMI.
  • Waist Size: In some circumstances, your waist size may need to be factored in to your application.
  • Underlying Health Conditions: You may also need to supply information about any current or historic medical conditions.
  • Medication: A list of all medications that you take.
  • Family History Your family history, and if you have a family history of heart problems, cancer, diabetes, stroke, (and several other conditions). If a number of your direct relatives have experienced certain conditions, it may have an impact on the price you pay.

Critical Illness Cover with a high BMI

Just like Life Insurance policies, applications for Critical Illness Cover factor in BMI during the underwriting process. This type of policy though usually has much stricter rules than Life Insurance products, so knowing where to look for the most lenient terms is paramount. Individuals looking for Life Insurance will usually be accepted with BMI’s in the mid-high 50’s, whereas maximum BMI’s for Critical Illness Cover sit around the low 40’s. Ther is no one rule for every company and as your age and medical situation impact final decisions, speaking with one of our experts is your best bet to see if cover is available.

This policy is designed to pay out a tax-free lump sum if you are diagnosed with a defined ‘Critical Illness’, some of the more commonly claimed illness’s include; Cancer, Heart Attack, Stroke & Multiple Sclerosis.

Get a Quote for Obesity Life Insurance

If you have found that your premiums have been increased or you have been declined cover due to being Overweight or Obese, we may be able to help. At Your Life Protected we understand the underwriting procedures related to Obesity life insurance, which allows us to quickly identify which insurance company is best for you, taking into account your unique case.

Please give us a call on 01275 404268 or Get a Quote. We will be very happy to spend time talking to you to understand as much as we can about your individual circumstances before finding the most appropriate cover for your needs.

Will I get Life Insurance with a high BMI?

Life Insurance policies are available for most, whatever your BMI. As each case is considered individually, other present (or historic) medical conditions will be factored in as well so your best bet is to get in touch so we can talk through your available options.

I’ve been refused cover in the past for a high BMI, will I get cover now?

Each company that providers Life Insurance has their own rules on what can and can’t be considered.  Just because one (or several) companies have refused Life Cover because of your weight in the past, it doesn’t mean cover won’t be available now.

Will I get Critical Illness Cover?

Underwriting rules for Critical Illness Cover are broadly much stricter than Life Insurance products, so knowing where to look for the most lenient rules is paramount. Like with Life Insurance, just because one company has refused you cover (because of being Overweight or Obese), it doesn’t mean another company won’t be able to consider cover.

Will my premium come down if I lose weight?

Whilst an insurer won’t automatically review your weight and reduce your premium as your BMI drops, this is something we do for all clients. If a policy is arranged and your weight reduces (or broader medical situation improves), we’ll go back out to the market and get you a cost reduction where possible.

Is BMI a good measure of health?

This question gets asked a lot and the honest answer is no. Whilst BMI is not a perfect measure of health, it gives the insurance companies a rough guide of body fat levels. There will always be exceptions to this rule (professional Rugby players or Body Builders for example) where an individual’s BMI score will be high due to muscle mass rather than fat levels, though these individuals comprise of less than 1% of the population. Whilst there are always ongoing conversations about the accuracy of BMI, given the sheer number of applications Life Insurance providers deal with, for now, it’s the best available indication.

Get a quote

Call us now to get a quote

01275 404 268

We are available from 9:00am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday

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We work with the best

We work with the UK's leading & specialist Life Insurance providers.

  • Aviva
  • Legal & General
  • Liverpool Victoria
  • Royal London
  • Scottish Widows
  • The Exeter
  • Vitality
  • Zurich
  • Guardian
  • Shepherds Friendly
  • HSBC Life
  • Holloway Friendly

All conditions we cover:

If you are looking for Life Insurance and you have a medical condition, we can help. Talk to our Life Insurance experts today.