Life insurance and weight
Build charts vary between insurers more than almost any other factor.
Every life insurer uses a build chart — a table relating height and weight to rating. What surprises people is how much those charts differ from one carrier to another.
The same applicant can be assessed quite differently by two insurers on this factor alone, which makes carrier selection unusually consequential here.
What underwriters generally consider
Build is rarely assessed in isolation. It's read together with the rest of the file.
- Height and weight against that insurer's own build chart
- Whether weight has been stable or changing
- Blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose results
- Any related diagnosis being managed
- Tobacco use
- Overall cardiovascular picture
Why carrier choice matters so much here
Because build charts are set by each insurer, the difference between carriers on this single factor can be significant. Two applications on identical facts can produce noticeably different assessments.
This is the clearest example on the site of why applying to one company, or applying blind, tends to produce a worse outcome than it needs to.
What we won't do
We won't offer advice about your weight. That's a conversation with a doctor, not an insurance page, and framing weight loss as a way to get better insurance terms isn't something we'll do.
What we can do is explain how the factor is assessed and help you approach carriers whose guidelines suit your situation.
If you have surgery in your history
Bariatric surgery is generally something underwriters want to know about, including when it took place and what has happened since. Have the dates and the surgeon's details available, and disclose it — it will be in your records.
Common questions
Each insurer sets its own build chart, and they differ considerably. There's no industry-wide threshold we can quote, which is precisely why comparing carriers matters on this factor.
We won't advise on that — it's a medical question for your doctor. Underwriters do generally consider whether weight has been stable, and any decision rests with the insurer.
Yes. It will be in your medical records, and an omission can be investigated during the contestability period. Disclose it with dates.
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This page is general information, not advice about your specific circumstances. A licensed insurance professional can tell you what’s actually available to you.
General information only, not insurance advice. Coverage, availability, and terms vary by insurer and by state, and are subject to underwriting. Quote My Policy LLC is a licensed insurance producer. Nothing here binds coverage.