life insurance declined due to size.....help needed

the_shreksta

so ive just been declined my life insurance due to my size.
now before people start stereotyping me let me explain.
im a shade under 6ft 9 inch tall and weigh 27 stone, i partake in strongman training/comps and weight lifting,i can run up and down stairs etc and swim lengths under water so im far from a useless fat blob that im being made out to be.

i have legally exchanged with jelsons now and handed over £12k deposit so now im !!!!!!!! myself that i wont get life cover which i need for my mortgage.

im guessing they use the generic bmi calculator which makes me morbidly obese, it doesnt take into account muscle mass. i have a body builder friend who is classed as morbidly obese and there isnt a shred of fat on him-the guy looks like he is carved from stone.its !!!!ing !!!!!!!! it is.

proper raging at the minute

Geoff1963

A friend was criticised by his doctor for being too thin - he cycled a 20 mile commute every day. My friend asked if developing a small beer gut to make up the shortfall, would make him more healthy.

Ask if they will accept a doctor's medical report.

A former governor of California was classed as obese.
http://www.docshop.com/2008/04/08/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-obese-problems-with-body-mass-index-bmi-calculations

[Deleted User]

the_shreksta wrote: »

its !!!!ing !!!!!!!! it is.

No, it's !!!! !!!!!!!, unless you're !!!!!!. But that's !!!!.

ACG

It is similar with rugby players.
You might struggle with getting life cover at normal rates. Its potentially worth speaking to a specialist protection broker. One insurer saying no, does not mean they all will.

lovinituk

Life insurance usually isn't compulsory for a mortgage. Buildings insurance usually is though.

stockton_2

I used to have 25 year term endowment policies to cover my mortgage. I don't remember a lot of health questions being asked but it was a long time ago.

kingstreet

stockton wrote: »

I used to have 25 year term endowment policies to cover my mortgage. I don't remember a lot of health questions being asked but it was a long time ago.

Guaranteed acceptance schemes which basically asked "have you been to a doctor, hospital or clinic in the last twelve months?" only, went out with the AIDS scare in the 1980s.

We had full medical questionnaires on endowments from about 1988 onwards.

Weighty1

I used to be a competitive bodybuilder and the premiums got heavily increased when I applied for life insurance years ago. Based on your BMI there are providers who will offer cover based on that. Depending on the strongman training/lifestyle there could be other aspects that come into play such as how hard you tren and wether you eat clen.............if you get me........

stockton_2

kingstreet wrote: »

Guaranteed acceptance schemes which basically asked "have you been to a doctor, hospital or clinic in the last twelve months?" only, went out with the AIDS scare in the 1980s.

We had full medical questionnaires on endowments from about 1988 onwards.

Thanks for that, times have obviously changed.

kingstreet

stockton wrote: »

Thanks for that, times have obviously changed.

Yep.

As well as guaranteed acceptance on endowments, there were some lovely term assurances with automatic increases, conversion and renewal options.

It all changed overnight and all we have left by way of options without further medical evidence are increase options on term assurances when you move house, have a child etc.

pjereed

As a protection adviser, I can confidently say that many insurers will look to decline cover as the BMI equates to 41 (I've assumed your age around 30 for ease of calculation, so this could vary depending on your actual age).

Some insurers, namely AIG Life, LV=, Zurich and a new plan via The Exeter typically allow a BMI of up to 42, one or two up to 45 and one even up to 50. There is a specialist insurer we work with who will also allow in excess of 50, but this is on a case by case basis. Critical Illness cover & Income Protection may be more problematic though.

As weighty pointed out above, the insurer is probably most concerned about your involvement in the strong man contests etc... This will bring added strain on the heart which when combined with a skewed BMI causes them to get a bit twitchy.

Upon applying, some insurers may ask for a nurse to visit you to take accurate height and weight measurements, but this isn't always required (depending on the insurer).

Keep the faith - there should be a solution out there for you.