Health Insurance and Costs of High BMI-Related Illnesses

Problems such as obesity, heart diseases, cancer, blood pressure, and diabetes among others, are on a constant rise. If you want to stay away from these problems and know how healthy you are, Body Mass Index, or BMI, is an essential tool that can help clear your doubts.

BMI is used to measure if one is overweight or obese. In BMI, the body fat is calculated by taking into consideration the height and weight of your body. To find your BMI, divide your weight (in kgs) by the square of your height (in meters).

The indicator uses a BMI chart to decide if the person is underweight, overweight, or obese. According to WHO, an adult having a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is overweight and one with a BMI of 30 or greater is obese. Similarly, BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight, and BMI between 18.5 to 24.9 is a healthy weight. This indicates higher your BMI, the more obese or overweight you are.

Click here to Use - BMI Calculator Online

Health Risks of Obesity or High BMI

High BMI or obesity is usually caused due to consumption of food items with high-fat content along with a sedentary lifestyle. These can lead to the accumulation of fat in the body and eventually expose you to hazardous diseases in the long run.

Below are some of the most common health risks associated with obesity and high BMI:

• Type 2 Diabetes: People who are overweight and obese are at a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
  
• High Blood Pressure: High BMI increases the chances of blood pressure issues in the body.
  
• High LDL Cholesterol: Obesity increases the amount of LDL cholesterol, produced by the liver, in the body.
  
• High Blood Glucose (sugar): As the BMI increases, the insulin resistance of the body also increases, thus surging the level of blood glucose in the body.
  
• Heart Diseases: Higher rate of BMI, exposes you to a higher risk of heart diseases.

Effect of High BMI on Life Insurance

Almost all of us need medical help at some point. Thus, many of us purchase health insurance so that when any unfortunate situation occurs, we are at least financially prepared for it.

But did you know your BMI can affect the following:

• Term and health insurance premiums can be higher for people with overweight and obese BMI status
• Your chances of developing a serious health issue are higher with a high BMI
• You also have a higher need for insurance due to the increased risk of weight-related health issues

Generally, you will have to pay high insurance premiums if your BMI is higher or lower than your normal BMI. The basic logic is that if your BMI is too high or too low, you are more likely to make hospital visits due to weight-related complications.

This will generate more medical expenses for the insurance company. Hence, the greater the projected costs on your health, the higher your insurance premium will be.

Life Insurance Plans to Consider for Managing Health Related Expenses

While you should aim for a healthier BMI, you should also ensure adequate financial safety for your dependents and yourself. The following insurance plans can help you achieve this:

• Term life insurance plan
  
• Critical health insurance plan
• General cover for up to 40 different health conditions
• Heart insurance covers multiple cardiovascular issues including early stages
• Cancer insurance cover for covering against all stages of cancer

You can include the general critical health cover with iSelect Smart360 Term Plan from Canara HSBC Life Insurance. You can also consider a separate cover for wide coverage or a specific cover for heart or cancer ailments.