Health Insurance Plans for Obesity

What is Obesity?

Obesity is a common medical condition categorized as having excessive fat in the body. It a complex chronic disease that occurs when the body consume more calories than it burns. It is common in adults as well as children. Obesity can lead to diabetes, heart diseases, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, high cholesterol, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and some cancers. 

There is no specific symptom of obesity. However, the Body Mass Index (BMI) and body shape of a person can help identify if they are obese or not. An adult with a high BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. Similarly, a waist circumference of over 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men can imply obesity. Obesity affects a person’s appearance, health and overall quality of life.

What is a Healthy BMI for Adults?

The healthy BMI for adults is 18.5 to 24.9. People can use a BMI calculator to determine if they are healthy, underweight, overweight or obese. Check out the BMI chart for adults given below:

Causes of Obesity

Take a look at some of the most common causes of obesity that can result in a high BMI:

• Bad eating habits, involving the consumption of more calories than required
• Lack of physical activity
• Underlying medical conditions like PCOS, PCOD, hyperthyroidism, etc.
• Eating certain medications like steroids, antidepressants, etc.
• Lack of proper sleep
• Excessive stress
• Family genes
• Physical and learning disabilities

Who Should Buy Health Insurance for Obesity?

Buying a health insurance policy for obesity is recommended for the following:

• People who consume a lot of unhealthy junk food and sugary drinks
• People with a sedentary lifestyle with minimal or no physical activity
• People who drink too much alcohol
• People with a family history of obesity
• People diagnosed with conditions like PCOD, PCOS or hyperthyroidism
• People who mostly sleep for less than 7 hours
• People struggling with excessive stress
• People who have been prescribed certain medications, like steroids and antidepressants

Benefits of Buying Health Insurance for Obesity in India

Here are some of the key reasons to buy health insurance for high BMI or obesity:

Massive Prevalence of Obesity in India

Obesity is a silent disease with a massive presence in India. As per a 2025 Lancet study, about 180 million people in India are obese. Besides, India has the world's largest number of obese and overweight adolescents between the age group of 15-24 years. Unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles are some of the biggest reasons for this sharp rise in obesity. By purchasing a mediclaim policy, obese people can easily pay for the cost of managing and treating obesity.

Expensive Cost of Treatment

Obesity can be treated by managing the food & lifestyle habits or undergoing a bariatric surgery. However, bariatric surgery is quite expensive. As per reports, bariatric surgery can cost anywhere between ₹2.8 lakh to ₹6 lakh, depending on the city, type of hospital and the room. However, buying health insurance for bariatric surgery can help people afford the surgery without exhausting all their savings.

High Vulnerability for Critical Illnesses

Obesity or high BMI can be the root cause of several lifestyle diseases that can be life-threatening. For instance, high BMI can lead to critical illnesses like heart attack, stroke, cancer, liver failure, etc. Since treating a critical illness is costly as well as time-consuming, it can drain the patient’s savings in no time. With critical illness insurance, patients can pay for their treatment of any critical illnesses resulting from high BMI or obesity.

List of Health Insurance for Obesity in India

Check out the list of health insurance for obese adults in India:

Inclusions of Health Insurance for Obesity

Health insurance for obesity includes the following:

• In-patient hospitalization
• Bariatric surgery
• Gastric bypass
• Sleeve gastrectomy
• Laparoscopic gastric banding
• Consumables cover
• Pre-hospitalization expenses
• Post-hospitalization expenses
• Annual health check-ups
• Weight management program
• Pre-existing obesity coverage from day 1 or 31 (in some plans)
• Restoration of the sum insured
• Chronic care
• Chronic disease management program
• Daily hospital cash
• Wellness benefits, including nutritional counselling

Note: Obesity insurance coverage may vary from one health insurance plan to another.

Exclusions of Health Insurance for Obesity

Health insurance for obesity comes with the following exclusions:

• Bariatric surgeries due to cosmetic reasons
• Plastic surgery
• Dietary supplements and substances
• Unproven treatments
• Rest cure and rehabilitation expenses
• Investigative and evaluative treatments

How Does Obesity Affect Health Insurance Premiums?

Obesity has a direct impact on health insurance premiums. Obese people tend to pay a higher premium than people who are fit and healthy. This is because obese people are more likely to develop various health problems, such as heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes, fatty liver disease, osteoarthritis, high cholesterol, etc., and eventually file a claim. This increases the liability of the insurer, leading to a hiked premium.

Most health insurance companies use BMI to determine if a person is obese. A person with a High BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. The higher is the BMI, the higher will be the premium. Thus, insurers may check the BMI of a person before issuing them health insurance for high BMI.

Factors to Consider While Buying Health insurance for Obesity

Check out the factors to be considered while buying health insurance for obesity:

• BMI – Most insurers consider BMI to check if a person is obese. People with a high BMI of 30 or above are considered obese.
• Scope of Coverage – Check if the obesity insurance coverage include bariatric surgery, in-patient hospitalization, disease management programs, and nutritional counselling.
• Medically Necessary – Health insurance for obesity covers the cost of only those bariatric surgeries that are medically necessary and not performed for cosmetic purposes.
• Waiting Period – Most health insurance plans for high BMI come with a waiting period of 2-3 years for filing a claim.
• Expensive Premiums – People with a high BMI may have to pay a higher premium than those who are not obese.
• Pre-existing Diseases – Obese people who suffer from pre-existing diseases (PED), like heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes, etc., may find it difficult to buy obesity insurance coverage.

Tips to Prevent Obesity

Here are a few tips to prevent obesity in children and adults:

• Eat a balanced calorie-controlled diet and drink lots of water
• Sleep for at least 7-9 hours every night to prevent weight gain, especially in the abdomen
• Consume whole grain foods and healthy proteins like seafood, tofu, nuts, etc.
• Go for about 60-90 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity at least 3-4 days a week
• Eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day
• Limit screen time by reducing the use of phones, computers and TV
• Avoid highly processed food consisting of saturated fat, refined white sugar, refined flour, etc.
• Practice yoga and meditation to manage stress levels
• Intentionally buy healthy foods and avoid keeping unhealthy food in the house