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If you are applying for life insurance, your height and weight are just two of the questions you have to answer. A life insurance company may request a doctor's report if your Body Mass Index exceeds the limits they consider acceptable. You might have to undergo a medical examination in some cases. It is likely you will receive a premium hike of at least 50% if your weight is of concern and as much as 400% if you're really obese. The weight of applicants causes a problem for about 25% of applicants when they apply for life insurance. An insurer may even refuse an application in extreme circumstances. This is because your Body Mass Index is a simple way to calculate and predict obesity. A major cause of heart disease and early death. When penalizing you for being overweight, your age is taken into account Taking into account your age is something insurance companies do to adjust their premiums based on the normal middle-age spread. Age-related weight gain is accepted by them as a natural phenomenon. However, they'll certainly hit you hard if you're young and overweight. A person who is overweight and 38 will be hit much harder than a person who is overweight and 58. Obesity is a growing problem Over the last 20 years, the number of overweight or obese adults has risen dramatically with more than 60% of men and 50% of women being overweight or obese. It looks like the problem won't improve anytime soon. 28% of girls and 22% of boys between the ages of 2 and 15 are overweight. Higher fees The most common result for a high BMI is that you will pay higher fees for your life insurance. For us, this came out to about $9 more per month for only my husband's BMI is too high. That is a massive increase when you consider that our policy has 8 people on it. Before applying for health insurance consider checking your BMI so there are no surprises. The typical insurance company considers a BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9 to as normal. Above 25 classifies you as overweight. Over 30 and you're obese. How to lower your BMI for lower life insurance premiums. If you have time before you apply for life insurance such as if you are trying to get into a financial situation to afford it you can use that time to make changes and help to improve your life insurance rates. Building a healthy lifestyle that helps to lose weight is a great way to prepare for getting life insurance. Losing just 10% of your body fat can reduce your risk of heart disease and help lower your insurance premiums. For most overweight people this can be done with lifestyle changes to jumpstart their weight loss. Get more active: Go for walksTry yogaTake a fitness class Make small diet changes: Sneak more vegetables into your dietDrink more water