The Economic Impacts of Obesity in the Workplace. Quite a title isn't it? A 2010 article, it's currently making the rounds via HR Benefits Alert and other HR advisories. The article cites medical costs, productivity costs, transportation costs and human capital costs as areas of potential economic impact.
In that same year, 2010, the CDC released it's findings that in 2009 - 2010, 35.7% of U.S. adults were obese. That's 78 million U.S. adults (41 million women and more than 37 million men over the age of 20). Prior to those findings, in 2009 the CDC launched a website called "LEANworks" as part of a campaign to work with employers to reduce workplace obesity. (LEAN = Leading Employees to Activity and Nutrition.) The website provides an obesity cost calculator for the employer. Using data provided by either the benefits personnel or human resources, the calculator allows an employer to estimate obesity related costs. Shocked? In Japan, companies use BMI (body mass index) as an evaluation tool for employment and dismissal.
The CDC released a report in which they indicated that an estimated 42% of Americans will be obese by the year 2030. According to the American Health Association, if current trends in the growth of obesity continue, total health care costs attributable to obesity could reach $861 to $957 billion by 2030. That would account for 16% to 18% of U.S. health expenditures.
Statistics or studies, fact or fiction, there's a tremendous amount of information out there that deals with obesity. Yes, obesity is a concern. But what about the human cost? Obesity exacts a tremendous price on overweight individuals. Chronic health problems. Psychological suffering.
There has long been the belief that poverty and obesity go hand in hand. There's no doubt that we need to make healthier choices. But sometimes that's easier said than done (as my mother would say). A family on a reduced/limited income has tough choices to make. They can feed a family of 4 at McDonald's for a lot less than it takes to buy the ingredients to fix a nutritious meal for those same 4 family members.
Is the rising tide of obesity linked to rising food prices? Basically, one of the primary reasons that lower-income people are more over-weight is because the unhealthiest and most fattening foods are the cheapest. Between 1985 and 2000, the inflation-adjusted prices of fruits and vegetables increased by an average of 40%. The price of soft drinks fell by almost 25% during the same time period. (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently reported that $1 can buy either 1200 calories of potato chips, 250 calories of vegetables or 170 calories of fresh fruit.)
Obesity is a concern. And yes, there may be an economic impact to your workplace. From the Human Resources angle, what about weight discrimination or bias?
Weight discrimination is largely ignored, but it is a serious issue. The Citizens Medical Center in Victoria, Texas recently instituted a new policy. This new policy requires that an employee's physique "should fit with a representational image or specific mental projection of the job of a health care professional." I'm sorry - what?The medical center will require new employees to have a body mass index of less than 35.
This policy may cause outrage, but whether or not it's legal remains to be determined. The hospital is going to have to establish job related reasons for excluding employee candidates with a body mass index above 35. And, how is the hospital going to actually determine the candidates body mass index?
In that same year, 2010, the CDC released it's findings that in 2009 - 2010, 35.7% of U.S. adults were obese. That's 78 million U.S. adults (41 million women and more than 37 million men over the age of 20). Prior to those findings, in 2009 the CDC launched a website called "LEANworks" as part of a campaign to work with employers to reduce workplace obesity. (LEAN = Leading Employees to Activity and Nutrition.) The website provides an obesity cost calculator for the employer. Using data provided by either the benefits personnel or human resources, the calculator allows an employer to estimate obesity related costs. Shocked? In Japan, companies use BMI (body mass index) as an evaluation tool for employment and dismissal.
The CDC released a report in which they indicated that an estimated 42% of Americans will be obese by the year 2030. According to the American Health Association, if current trends in the growth of obesity continue, total health care costs attributable to obesity could reach $861 to $957 billion by 2030. That would account for 16% to 18% of U.S. health expenditures.
Statistics or studies, fact or fiction, there's a tremendous amount of information out there that deals with obesity. Yes, obesity is a concern. But what about the human cost? Obesity exacts a tremendous price on overweight individuals. Chronic health problems. Psychological suffering.
There has long been the belief that poverty and obesity go hand in hand. There's no doubt that we need to make healthier choices. But sometimes that's easier said than done (as my mother would say). A family on a reduced/limited income has tough choices to make. They can feed a family of 4 at McDonald's for a lot less than it takes to buy the ingredients to fix a nutritious meal for those same 4 family members.
Is the rising tide of obesity linked to rising food prices? Basically, one of the primary reasons that lower-income people are more over-weight is because the unhealthiest and most fattening foods are the cheapest. Between 1985 and 2000, the inflation-adjusted prices of fruits and vegetables increased by an average of 40%. The price of soft drinks fell by almost 25% during the same time period. (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently reported that $1 can buy either 1200 calories of potato chips, 250 calories of vegetables or 170 calories of fresh fruit.)
Obesity is a concern. And yes, there may be an economic impact to your workplace. From the Human Resources angle, what about weight discrimination or bias?
Weight discrimination is largely ignored, but it is a serious issue. The Citizens Medical Center in Victoria, Texas recently instituted a new policy. This new policy requires that an employee's physique "should fit with a representational image or specific mental projection of the job of a health care professional." I'm sorry - what?The medical center will require new employees to have a body mass index of less than 35.
This policy may cause outrage, but whether or not it's legal remains to be determined. The hospital is going to have to establish job related reasons for excluding employee candidates with a body mass index above 35. And, how is the hospital going to actually determine the candidates body mass index?
Weight discrimination is one of the last types of bias that is, for the most part, legal. Michigan is the only state with laws on the books prohibiting weight discrimination.
For those that are interested, a Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index Report indicated that the national obesity rate dropped to 26.1 percent in 2011 from 26.6 the prior year. A slight drop, but a drop nonetheless. In this same report, Gallup identified the most and least 5 obese states in the U.S. For the second year in a row, Colorado had the lowest obesity rate at 18.5% (the only state below 20%). West Virginia had the highest obesity rate since 2008, at 35.3 percent. Texas didn't show up on the report. So, I guess we're doing alright!
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