People today live sedentary lifestyles with unhealthy habits and food choices. These make them prone to several lifestyle diseases, increasing their risk of death. If you are a person who often consumes fast food, prepackaged products, and pizza, you must know that these foods can cause blood pressure to rise.

Now, you must think, what is the connection between food and life insurance? The answer is that insurance companies consider your blood pressure and other health factors when determining your life insurance rates.

Health Factors Affecting Life Insurance Premiums

When an insurance company calculates premiums, one of the most important factors they consider is the policyholder’s health status, which directly influences the premium amount. The premium is lower and more affordable if the policyholder is young and healthy. On the other hand, the premium is higher if the policyholder is weak or sick.

The insurer looks at several factors to calculate premium rates, some of which are stated below.

Pre-existing conditions

If a person already suffers from certain health conditions, that would be considered a pre-existing disease. This factor significantly affects premium rates. Some common diseases, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, have a direct impact on the premium rates that they have to pay.

Smoking/Drinking habits

Continuous smoking can increase the risk of lung cancer, which affects your health status. On the other hand, excessive consumption of alcohol leads to liver failure and other health problems. This is the reason why the life insurance calculator asks you whether you are a smoker or an alcoholic while evaluating your insurance plans for you. So, if you are a regular smoker or an alcohol consumer, the premium amount of your policy is likely to be high.

Family Medical History

Besides drinking and smoking habits, the insurer may check your family medical history to consider genetic health and disorders prevailing in the lineage. The premium is comparatively higher for families with a history of health issues.

Medical Test Results

While applying for life insurance, you must undergo medical tests. The test results help the insurer gain insights into your health status. Usually, medical tests include CBC (complete blood count), fasting blood sugar levels, liver and kidney function, and so on. These health factors may affect your premium rates and turn your cheapest term insurance into an expensive one. So, now you know how eating junk food like pizza, smoking, or alcohol consumption has a direct impact on your health and the price of your policy.

Other Factors Affecting Life Insurance Premiums

Apart from diseases and medical history, other factors can affect the amount you pay for your policy.

Age

The age factor is reasonably related to the health factor. Logically, younger people are more fit and healthy than older ones. Hence, older people usually need to pay higher premium rates.

You may also opt for riders with critical illnesses, disabilities, etc., at a nominal extra premium. The optional riders are attached to your base policy for additional benefits.

Gender

Men usually pay higher premium amounts than women due to shorter life expectancies. However, gender is not the only factor in calculating premium rates. The life insurance calculator also computes lifestyle and age.

Occupation

Your profession may also impact your life insurance premiums. With more and more people engaging in desk jobs, the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other lifestyle diseases is on the rise due to their sedentary lifestyle. Also, blue-collar workers (who perform manual labour) live at high risk. So, your premium rates will be affected if you have a non-active lifestyle or work in the mining/oil/gas industry.

Conclusion

Consuming junk food like pizza or having unhealthy habits of smoking or drinking can be fatal in the long run. That’s why securing your family with insurance is essential in the wake of unforeseen events. You can opt for the cheapest term insurance policy by controlling factors like buying the plan at a young age, setting a better standard of living, etc. Furthermore, to make informed decisions, you may compare insurance policies using the life insurance calculator to choose your best one.