Biggest Loser – Effect of Weight Loss on Life Insurance

Oct 03 2009

Biggest Loser – Effect of Weight Loss on Life Insurance

Tags: Biggest Loser, Life, Weight Loss | No Comments »

I’m watching The Biggest Loser, Season 8 “Second Chances”, and like to monitor the weight my favorite contestants have lost, and how that weight loss would impact them if they were to apply for life insurance.

Two contestants I particularly liked this season have already been eliminated – Sean and Antoine. When Sean began his journey on The Biggest Loser, he weighed 444 pounds. As a 29 year old at 6′2, Sean would not have been able to purchase life insurance. He would be declined. At 6′2, the closest carrier to making him an offer would probably be Prudential, who would consider a 6′2 man for their upper limit of 432 pounds. For the sake of comparison, assuming he started at 432 pounds and got that offer, he would pay $2455 per year for a 20 year term policy with a $500,000 face value.

Now, however, Sean has lost 120 pounds, and weighs 324 lbs. A 324 pound man who is 29 years old and doesn’t smoke would pay $875 annually for the same policy. This assumes the weight loss has been kept off for over a year and has no serious underlying medical conditions.

Antoine is 6′0, 23 years old and started off weighing 367 pounds. He lost 105, so he’s now at 263 pounds. For the same $500,000 policy, his starting quote would be $1,085. Now at 263 lbs, he would actually qualify for standard rates with some carriers, lowering his price to $445 annually.

You see that as their weight goes down, their premiums go down. It’s simple. Life insurance underwriters look at how risky the applicant is. If you’re overweight, you’re a higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, just to name a few. These all impact mortality, causing obese people to pay more for life insurance.

Note: If you’re obese and need life insurance, your best bet is to use an independent agent like me, who can shop your case around to the different carriers to see who will give you the best offer. Not all the carriers use the same height/weight charts. I have great life insurance rates for overweight people. Give us a call or get a quote.

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