Summary

If youre fat the life insurance companies will load your premium by up to 400%. But how do they decide who is overweight? This article explains.

  (medical insurance)

Life Insurers use the Body Mass Index to tighten the belt on fat people

 

Author: Michael Challiner

  (travel insurance)

Overweight people are in the firing line again. Cheap Life insurance companies are increasing premiums up to four fold for fat people. Theyve always charged more for those of us who over-eat, but during the last year the penalties have got worse.

In moves to tighten the belts further, the life insurers are lowering the weight limits they use to categorise people. This tougher move means that those who are merely overweight and would have previously qualified for a standard premium, are now penalised with higher premiums - and the premium rapidly rises the more overweight they believe you are.

Height and weight are just two of the questions you have to answer when you apply for life insurance. From them, the life company calculates your life insurance policies Body Mass Index and if that exceeds the limits they define as acceptable, they might ask for a doctors report. In bigger cases they might ask you to have a medical examination. If this confirms that your weight is of concern, then you can expect your premium to be loaded by at least 50% and as much as 400% if youre really obese. Recent research shows that around 25% of applicants will experience problems getting life cover due to their weight. In extreme cases the insurer will even refuse the application. (medical insurance)

In an acknowledgement of normal middle age spread, the car insurance policy insurance companies do take your age into account when deciding your premium. They accept that people naturally tend to put weight on as they age. If youre young and overweight, however, theyll certainly hit you hard. So overweight and 38 will be hit much harder than overweight and 58.

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