Being obese or overweight could be a hindrance to obtaining affordable life insurance.
Going on a diet could seriously help your finances when it comes to taking out life insurance. Life insurance companies tend to increase premiums for overweight people, even if they are otherwise healthy.
According to a recent study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) around 66% of the American public is classified as either overweight or obese. A recent study in PLoS Medicine reports that obesity is one of the four main risk factors which can lead to chronic disease, along with smoking, hypertension, and elevated blood sugar levels. As one of these multiple risk factors, obesity plays its part in reducing the average American life by 4.9 years for men and 4.1 for women.
Measures to Reduce Obesity, Increase Life Expectancy
In March 2010 the government declared new initiatives to make the nation fitter, by increasing access to healthier food and physical exercise. The Department of Health and Human Services has earmarked over $372 million for 44 communities to help them support better nutrition and more physical exercise for residents. New health reforms also include making restaurant chains provide nutritional information on all their menus, including those on drive-thru display boards.
According to Lawrence Appel, MD, MPH at John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, “Doctors and patients are fighting a very tough battle.” “We need to focus on implementing strategies…that discourage people from making bad decisions that in the end decrease life expectancy.”
Losing Weight Comes with Lower Life Insurance Premiums
Life Insurers use different underwriting rules to determine exact rates when it comes to insuring overweight people. If you are only 10 pounds or so over your ideal weight range – that is, have a BMI or Body Mass Index of up to 28 (BMI is calculated by a height to weight ratio and a BMI of up to 25 is ideal) then you are still likely to get a good rate on life insurance. Higher BMIs, those ranging from 35-40, will put you up a class and raise the premiums of your life insurance policy.
No matter what your weight, however, Life-Insurance-Info.us likely has the life insurance policy for you. Request a quote for life insurance right here to start your search.
Source: American Medical Association (AMA)
photo credit: eflon
Tags: ama, cdc, life insurance, obesity, overweight, plos medicine, premiums