If you are overweight and looking for life insurance you are certainly not alone according to government statistics. In 2019, more than 2 in 3 adults are either considered to be overweight or obese in the United States.

Good news!

You can certainly buy life insurance even if you are overweight or obese!

However, life insurance for overweight people can be more expensive. In fact, being heavier is one of the most common reasons people are charged higher rates for life insurance coverage.

If you are obese, or even just overweight, your height and weight will be a factor used by life insurance underwriters to determine the price of your life insurance policy.

All companies have unique qualification guidelines because each carrier uses a different life insurance height and weight chart.

Modern life insurance companies also consider a life insurance BMI chart. A life insurance BMI chart shows how your body mass index fits into the insurance company guidelines.

The Life Insurance Weight Chart

Many agents give quotations based on the best rate class in order to win your business. But, the risk classification the life insurance company gives you is the key to finding inexpensive life insurance rates.

Traditionally, life insurance companies classify people according to their health, occupation, smoking status, and family history.

How does weight affect life insurance rates?

If you are above the life insurance weight limits, many companies automatically add an extra premium or a “table rating” onto your policy.

Life insurance Table Ratings

A rating is a premium higher then a standard rate, and is usually labeled with a letter as follows:

A = 25% above standard rate

B = 50% above standard rates

C = 75% above standard rates

D = 100% above standard rates

Here is a comparison of three different companies showing the life insurance height and weight limits available for a standard rate class. These companies are considered at the high end for both build and the life insurance BMI chart.

Maximum Build limits on the life insurance height weight chart



Height/Weight A B C 5′ 0″ 178 188 190 5′ 1″ 180 190 192 5′ 2″ 178 186 190 5′ 3″ 185 190 199 5′ 4″ 190 188 197 5′ 5″ 196 193 202 5′ 6″ 191 200 208 5′ 7″ 199 206 215 5′ 8″ 203 212 221 5′ 9″ 214 219 228 5′ 10″ 225 233 240 5′ 11″ 229 241 255 6′ 0″ 240 255 260 6′ 1″ 260 265 270 6′ 2″ 270 276 283 6′ 3″ 280 275 279 6′ 4″ 288 290 294 6′ 5″ 294 296 297 6′ 6″ 297 290 304 6′ 7″ 305 304 309

* The life insurance weight limits from 3 liberal life insurance companies

Buying Life Insurance for Overweight People

Hopefully, you now realize that you should not be penalized with higher rates on life insurance just because you are carrying a few extra pounds!

Fortunately, life insurance companies use different height and weight guidelines, and these categories are not uniform across the industry.

weight loss and life insurance

So, should you try to lose weight before applying for life insurance?

Yes, in general it always a good idea to lose weight if you are overweight.

However, losing weight may not help you as much as you might think when getting better rates for life insurance.

This is because life insurance companies will use your average weight over a two years period of time. Plus, every year you get older life insurance become more expensive.

If you lose more than 10 pounds in the 12 months before you apply for life insurance, you’ll get credit for 50% of that weight loss until you have maintained your weight for at least a year.

So, if you weighed 250 pounds and lost 50 pounds within the past year, you’ll be rated at 225 pounds rather than 200.

Companies are looking for stable weight loss, and usually require two years of maintained weight before they give you full credit.

What if I have already lost weight over a 2 year period of time?

Instead of being assessed a standard rate just because you are overweight, you are now eligible for a preferred rate class.

Here is a practical example illustrating how the life insurance weight chart can affect your premiums.

Notice the price difference when Jack applies for a $500,000, 2o year term life insurance being overweight compared to being fit ant and trim at 60 years old.

Normal Weight Overweight Rate Class Preferred Standard Premium $2,714 $4,345

Wow, that is over $1,600 in savings per year for Jack with nearly $32,000 in savings over 20 years. This cheaper rate is available just because he now fits within the life insurance weight chart!

Taking an exam for Life insurance

Should overweight people take a medical exam when a applying for life insurance?

Most people would think that it would be best not to take an exam in order for heavy people to qualify for coverage.

However, most overweight people seeking life insurance should take the exam because it is their best opportunity for getting a policy with affordable rates.

Since, most life insurance companies require a medical exam; you can get more insurance offers by going through with the exam application process.

Furthermore, many insurance companies that do not require a physical exam underwrite polices on a pass/fail basis.

So, many heavier applicants that fall outside the published life insurance height and weight chart will be declined for coverage.

Life Insurance for heavy people with Medical Conditions

You may be able to qualify for standard rates for life insurance being overweight, assuming you do not have any other major medical conditions.

Many overweight people are also being treated for high blood pressure or high cholesterol and can qualify excellent rates assuming their condition is well controlled.

Overweight diabetics can also find affordable diabetic life insurance, especially diabetics who control their blood sugar levels well with diet or oral medications.

If you have a more serious medical condition, be sure to look for an agent who specializes in impaired risk policies.

We represent many niche insurance companies and can use our insider knowledge to direct you to the company specializing in your specific medical condition.

If you do have more serious health issues, we also recommend reading our helpful article on shopping for life insurance with medical conditions.

As you can see your medical history can have a direct impact on the rates you pay for life insurance.

Life Insurance for overweight Seniors

Heavy senior citizen’s who are looking for life insurance are in luck!

This is because many companies offer more liberal underwriting on life insurance for overweight seniors.

The thought process being as people age they become a little heavier each year.

If you have maintained good health for your entire life you are allowed a few additional pounds.

Some carriers even have special height and weight charts which only apply after you reach a certain age.

Not to mention, it is even possible for senior life applicants to qualify for preferred rate class which would not be otherwise available to younger people.

Many seniors are also looking into buying a permanent life insurance policy. These universal and whole life policies often offer price reductions as well.