How to Get Life Insurance With a High Body Mass Index (BMI) [2025]

The Body-Mass Index (BMI) has been around since the mid-1800’s and is defined as an individual’s body weight divided by the square of his/her height. BMI does not measure the percentage of actual body fat a person has. However, it is the current preferred method for measuring body fat percentage among ratios of weight and height by most health professionals and life insurance companies.

Life insurance companies often check your health to make sure they are not taking a risk by insuring you. A BMI calculation is a part of that. Providing life insurance to obese people can be considered a risk, so a high BMI might make finding a life insurance policy more difficult for you.

This sounds all well and good, but what if you are very athletic and not even close to being fat? If this describes your body type, you may find yourself being measured unfairly using the BMI calculation.

Why BMI?

The accuracy of the BMI measurement has been the cause of much debate in health circles. This is because BMI only takes into consideration height and weight. It’s well known that muscle is much more dense than fat. Thus it takes up less space than an equal weight of fat. Therefore, a very muscular person could have the same BMI as a person who has a lot of fat. The BMI calculation will consider these very different body types to be the same.

The BMI range considered to be healthy is 18.5 to 24.9. Anything above 25 is considered overweight, and anything over 30 is considered obese. According to these standards, many professional athletes would be regarded as overweight or obese. When Mike Tyson was in his prime, he would have been considered obese with a BMI of 30.4 (5’11″ and 218 lbs). LeBron James would today be considered overweight with a BMI of 27.5 (6’8″ and 250 lbs).

Few would argue that Mike Tyson and LeBron James are obese and overweight respectively (and even fewer would dare say it to them personally!). The mere thought of such characterizations seems ludicrous and unfair. There is hope for change though, as the Body-Adiposity Index (BAI) is starting to gain ground. BAI is a newer method used to measure body fat utilizing height and hip circumference rather than height and weight. This allows for a more accurate measurement on muscular people.

According to the Obesity Research Journal (http://bit.ly/n1TydG), BAI is calculated as:

BAI = ((hip circumference) / ((height) 1.5) – 18)

Case Studies: Getting Life Insurance With a High Body Mass Index (BMI)

Case Study 1: John – The Muscular Athlete

John is a professional athlete with a muscular build. Despite being in excellent health and having a low body fat percentage, his high BMI poses a challenge when applying for life insurance. Many traditional life insurance companies use BMI as a primary factor in assessing an applicant’s eligibility and premium rates.

Unfortunately, John’s BMI falls above the healthy range due to his muscle mass, which can lead to higher premiums or even denial of coverage. He hopes that insurance companies will soon adopt alternative methods, like the Body-Adiposity Index (BAI), to accurately evaluate his body fat percentage.

Case Study 2: Sarah – The Fit and Healthy Individual

Sarah leads an active lifestyle and maintains a healthy weight. However, she falls into the category of individuals with a high BMI due to her athletic build. When applying for life insurance, Sarah encounters difficulties due to her BMI classification.

Despite her overall excellent health, she struggles to find a policy that offers favorable rates and coverage. Sarah believes that insurance companies should consider alternative measurements, such as BAI, to provide a more accurate assessment of her body composition and reduce the bias against physically fit individuals.

Case Study 3: Michael – The Formerly Obese Individual

Michael used to be overweight and struggled with obesity. However, he made significant lifestyle changes and successfully achieved a healthy weight. Although he now maintains a balanced BMI, his past obesity history still affects his ability to obtain life insurance.

Insurance companies may still consider his BMI as a risk factor, even though he has demonstrated his commitment to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Michael hopes that insurers can take into account an individual’s weight loss journey and reward those who have made positive changes to their health.

Term Life Insurance and BMI

Life insurance companies are extremely lenient regarding BMI measurements. Some companies will allow a BMI of up to 32 for the Preferred rating class (assuming all other factors are within range). But if you happen to have a high BMI due to an athletic or muscular build, you may still find yourself on the wrong side of the BMI guidelines used to qualify for the best rating class and lowest premium for your term life insurance policy. We are hopeful that life insurance companies will soon adopt the BAI method of measurement to more accurately assess athletic and muscular applicants.

Talk to your doctor to determine what body fat percentage is healthy for you. Few people know their BMI, and even fewer know their BAI. Do you know yours?