How Excess Weight Affects Job Productivity and Expenses

Overweight and obese individuals face higher health risks and expenses, leading to reduced job performance.

Highlights:

Obesity increases the risk of weight-related health conditions, affecting job productivity
Overweight and obese individuals experience more work loss and higher expenses for productivity loss
Each higher BMI category contributes to greater labor productivity decline and increased costs

Obese people may have reduced work productivity due to an increased risk of illness, which contributes to higher expenditures for employers, according to a study presented Saturday at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill ().

Impact of Obesity on Job Productivity and Health

Obesity is a major public health concern that affects around 42% of Americans. Overweight or obese employees are more prone to develop weight-related comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, all of which contribute to poorer job productivity.

Co-author Shraddha Shinde M.B.A, also of Eli Lilly & Company, added, "Given the substantial burden of overweight and obesity on employee health and function that was demonstrated by this study, employers should focus on building tailored interventions that could be beneficial in improving the health of these individuals."

Cost of Obesity: Impact on Work Loss and Productivity Expenses

In the MarketScan databases, the researchers examined 719,482 employees with and without obesity. They discovered that those who were overweight or obese had a larger proportion of work loss, a higher number of hours/days lost from work, and higher expenses associated with productivity loss. Each higher Body Mass Index (BMI) category resulted in a greater loss in labor productivity. The expenses of absenteeism, short and long-term disability, and worker's compensation were $891, $623, $41, and $112 greater each year for those with obesity compared to those with normal weight, according to the researchers.

A Mobile App to Monitor Employees Movement and Increase Work Productivity
Seefones is a cloud based mobile application that allows employers to maintain a record of the team working under them using an smartphone.

‘Study shows obesity's impact on work productivity and costs. Higher BMI leads to reduced productivity and increased expenses. #Obesity #WorkProductivity #HealthCosts’

Reference:

Employees with obesity may have higher loss of work productivity than those with normal weight - (https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2023/endo-2023-press-lee)

Source-Medindia

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