Critical Illness Cover Overweight [2025 Guide]

Q: Can I get critical illness cover if I'm overweight?

Yes, it could be possible to get critical illness cover if you’re overweight. As with life insurance , insurers will assess whether you’re eligible for critical illness cover using your personal circumstances. When applying for cover while overweight, insurers will need information on your height and weight (to calculate your BMI ), as well details about your health (such as any pre-existing medical conditions you have). If your BMI is over the recommended healthy limit, you could experience higher premiums and you could have certain conditions excluded from your cover. If your BMI shows that you’re morbidly obese , there could be further complications with trying to take out a policy.

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Critical illness cover overweight

Can I get critical illness cover if I'm overweight?
What is critical illness cover?
Is being overweight considered a medical condition?
How does being overweight impact my critical illness cover application?
What is the maximum BMI for critical illness cover?
Why is critical illness cover important for overweight people?
How much does critical illness cover for overweight people cost?
How can I get help and support with leading a healthy lifestyle?

Can I get critical illness cover if I'm overweight?

Yes, it could be possible to get critical illness cover if you’re overweight.

As with life insurance, insurers will assess whether you’re eligible for critical illness cover using your personal circumstances.

When applying for cover while overweight, insurers will need information on your height and weight (to calculate your BMI), as well details about your health (such as any pre-existing medical conditions you have).

If your BMI is over the recommended healthy limit, you could experience higher premiums and you could have certain conditions excluded from your cover.

If your BMI shows that you’re morbidly obese, there could be further complications with trying to take out a policy.

Want to learn about getting life insurance overweight, why not check out our in-depth guide?

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What is critical illness cover?

Critical illness cover is a form of protection that pays out if you’re diagnosed with a specific serious illness during the policy term.

It’s most commonly added to a life insurance policy for an additional cost, but some insurers offer it as a standalone policy. Through Reassured it’s only possible to buy critical illness cover alongside a life insurance policy.

A pay out from critical illness cover could help to cover:

Lost income
Daily living costs
Mortgage or rent costs
Adaptations to your home
Private medical fees

Essentially, critical illness cover can help you to focus on your recovery and not how you’ll make ends meet if you’re unable to work due to long term illness.

Is being overweight considered a medical condition?

Yes, being overweight will be considered as a pre-existing medical condition when you take out critical illness cover.

This is because being overweight can have an effect on your overall health.

How does being overweight impact my critical illness cover application?

Being overweight doesn’t always mean that you’ll experience problems getting cover and it could even be possible to get cover without any price increases.

A ‘healthy’ weight for UK adult is having a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9. If your BMI is between 25 – 29.9, you’re considered overweight.

If your BMI indicates that you’re obese or morbidly obese, then you could experience higher premiums, exclusions to your cover or even being declined.

Here are the possible outcomes when applying for critical illness cover when you’re overweight.

You’ll be accepted at the standard rate– depending on your BMI and other personal circumstances (such as your age and overall health and wellbeing) you could be accepted with little to no impact on your application.
You’ll be charged more for a policy– insurers assess your application based on the likelihood of a claim being made during the policy term. Due to the increased risk of developing certain health conditions that are linked to being overweight or obese, you could be charged more for a policy.
Some conditions will be excluded – an insurer may also choose to exclude certain conditions from your policy as they perceive a claim to be more likely. Conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart conditions and certain cancers could all be excluded from your cover regardless of whether you’re currently living with the condition or not.
You could be declined– if you’re morbidly obese or you’re overweight alongside other high-risk factors (such as having poor health, heavy smoking or drinking in excess) insurers could deem you too risky to offer a policy to. Remember, just because you have been declined by one insurer, doesn’t mean that all insurers will reject your application.

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What is the maximum BMI for critical illness cover?

Having a BMI of 30 or more could cause complications when applying for life insurance and critical illness cover.

This is because a BMI of 30 or more is considered as obese, with a BMI of 40 or more being classified as morbidly obese.

You might find that your premiums are increased or you could be declined for a policy depending on other personal circumstances (such as your age and health).

Insurers might also ask for a medical exam/screening so they can get a better understanding of your health before they make a decision about your application.

A medical exam can seem daunting but it’s arranged and paid for by the insurer at a time and place that suits you.

Why not work out your BMI using our calculator?

Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator

Use our simple calculator to work out your BMI and discover the most likely outcome of your life insurance application based on your reading.

Imperial Metric

Height

Feet

Inches

Weight

Stone

Pounds

Less than 18.5 = Underweight

Between 18.5 - 24.9 = Healthy Weight

Between 25 - 29.9 = Overweight

Between 30 - 39.9 = Obese

Over 40 = Morbidly Obese

Please fill in the required fields

Why is critical illness cover important for overweight people?

We’re statistically more likely to fall seriously ill than die during our working life, so critical illness cover is important for protecting you and your family should the unexpected happen.

Being overweight, there could be an increased chance of developing a medical condition or experiencing issues with your health.

While conditions that are linked to being overweight or obese could be excluded from your policy, you could still be covered for a wide range of illnesses.

What are the 30 conditions that are usually covered by critical illness cover? Find out in this guide.

Life and critical illness cover calculator

Use our handy calculator to work out how much life and critical illness cover you may need. Simply fill in the costs you’d like your policy to cover.

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How much does critical illness cover for overweight people cost?

Critical illness cover is typically added to a life insurance policy for an additional cost, so the price you pay for both life insurance and critical illness cover will be based on:

Age
Medical history
BMI
Occupation
Lifestyle
Policy type
Length of cover
Cover amount

If you’re overweight and in good overall health, you could find that there’s little impact on the price you pay for a policy.

However, if you have a medical condition or you’re classified as obese/morbidly obese, you could find that your premiums are increased due to the greater risk you pose to the insurer.

Comparing quotes is essential in helping you to find a good deal. Using the services of Reassured you can compare multiple leading insurers at once, saving you time and money.

How can I get help and support with leading a healthy lifestyle?

Leading a healthier lifestyle doesn’t always mean making a drastic change and restricting your diet. It could be something as simple as getting a few more steps in during the day and/or incorporating more fruit and veg into your meals.

It’s recommended to:

Eat at least 5 portions of fruit or vegetables per day^[1]
Do 10,000 steps per day (if possible, simply increasing your usual number of daily steps could have health benefits)^[2]
Do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or activity per week and 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity per week (adults aged 18 – 64)^[3]

These goals don’t need to happen overnight. Taking the steps to lead a healthy lifestyle could look like gradually increasing your exercise levels over a period of time.

If you’re looking to make some changes to your lifestyle, there are a range of support services available from the NHS including:

Compare life insurance with critical illness cover for overweight applicants

Comparing quotes can help you save time and money when finding the best critical illness cover for overweight applicants.

Why not use our award-winning broker service to compare fee-free quotes? We work with a panel of leading UK insurance companies, allowing us to find you our best quotes for your personal circumstances.

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