By Tori Weeks
Director, Workforce Solutions
Unum
Obesity and being overweight affect not only individuals and their families but also the companies that employ such individuals, reducing corporate profit through increased medical costs and lost productivity.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 37.9% of people 20 years of age and older were obese in 2013–2014, while a staggering 70.7% of adults were either overweight or obese.1 Nearly half of those obese or overweight people are living with comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, heart conditions, lung conditions, and cancer.2 The average annual medical costs for an obese person are 42% higher than for those with healthier body mass index (BMI) measurements.3
Employers need to recognize that obesity impacts all the comorbid conditions listed above as well as mental health. Obesity has the potential to trigger depression, eating disorders, low self-esteem, and distorted body image.4 In a clinical study of 2,931 patients with chronic health issues, clinical depression was the highest among obese patients (BMI over 35).4
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