Know true cost of obesity: Related lost productivity
Even 10% weight loss can yield substantial savings
Obesity-related absenteeism costs employers $4.3 billion per year, with female workers accounting for about 75% of that amount, according to a new study.1 The researchers used health data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for 2000-2004 to analyze the rates and costs of obesity-related absenteeism. Overall, 29% of men and women were obese, and of that group, 8% of women and 6% of men were morbidly obese.
Obese women were 61% more likely to miss work time than women of healthy weight, across all occupational categories. However, for men, results varied by occupation. Obese men in professional and sales occupations missed more work time than men of healthy weight, but in other occupations, including managers, office workers, and equipment operators, only morbidly obese men missed more time.
Obesity accounts for more than 9% of the total dollars lost from work absenteeism, according to the study's cost estimates. This information will help you assess the return on investment of interventions to reduce obesity, says John Cawley, PhD, the study's author and a researcher at Ithaca, NY-based Cornell University specializing in the economics of obesity.
Interventions might be most effective if they target groups with the highest costs of obesity-related absenteeism, such as women and the morbidly obese, adds Cawley. Although the total annual cost of obesity-related absenteeism is $4.3 billion, it's not known exactly how much of that is borne by employers, since some costs are shifted back to workers by paying lower salaries or wages, says Cawley.
To compute the cost of obesity-related absenteeism at your workplace, Cawley advises, collect data on all of the variables considered in the study: Age, gender, occupation, education, the number of days of missed work for health-related reasons, and weight or body mass index (BMI). "To minimize these costs, employers and health insurers should consider ways of preventing or reducing obesity," says Cawley.
Obesity has "threshold" effect
Moderately and extremely obese employees have reduced productivity on the job, even compared to overweight or mildly obese workers, says a new study of 341 employees at eight manufacturing companies.2
Of the workers in the study, 23% were mildly obese, 13% were moderately or extremely obese, and another 43% were overweight. Health-related losses in productivity averaged 4.2% for workers with moderate to severe obesity, which was 1.8% higher than for all other employees. Based on an average hourly wage of $21, the annual cost of presenteeism for moderately to extremely obese workers was nearly $1,800, which is about $500 higher than for other workers.
Obesity seems to have a "threshold" effect on presenteeism, with moderately and extremely obese workers being significantly less productive than other workers, says Donna M. Gates, EdD, RN, the study's lead author and professor at the University of Cincinnati's College of Nursing. "It is important to note that overweight and mildly obese workers did not experience these adverse effects," says Gates.
The study's results suggest that even a modest weight loss of 10% can yield substantial economic benefits, with hundreds of dollars of productivity costs saved per worker each year, says Gates.
The findings underscore the need for occupational health nurses (OHNs) to advocate for worksite wellness programs targeting obesity, says Gates. "OHNs have the knowledge and skills to develop a variety of wellness programs that will reach a large number of individuals at relatively low costs," she says. In addition, they have the expertise to deal with the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases that are associated with obesity, including Type II diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, says Gates.
Individualize programs
"Based on numerous studies we've seen, we know that obesity is linked to increased medical costs, as well as costs associated with absenteeism and presenteeism," says Richard Young, assistant director of health and wellness in Bloomfield, CT-based Cigna's Health Solutions Unit.
To address this link, Cigna implemented a Healthy Steps to Weight Loss program in September 2007, with participants' self-reported levels of presenteeism and absenteeism measured when they enroll in the program, when they graduate, and again at follow-up points after graduation.
The program is offered at these four levels, with varied amounts of coaching and follow-up depending on the employee's individual needs: Overweight (a BMI of 25-29.9), Class 1 Obesity (a BMI of 30-34.9), Class 2 Obesity (a BMI of 35-39.9), and Class III obesity (a BMI of 40 or more).
At Golden, CO-based Coors, a "Slimmer by Winter" weight loss program is run each year from September through December, with inches measured instead of pounds. Of 3,500 employees at the site, 100 participated, Twenty reported to be measured at the program's end, losing an average of 5 inches each, says Nancy Lasich, benefits manager.
Employees also are encouraged to participate in the Weight Watchers program, either onsite at work, online, or in their community. "If 10 meetings are attended, then Coors reimburses the registration fee," says Lasich.
This year, the program had 180 participants, with 71 completing the program and reporting their weights, which were compared to weights reported in the employee's health risk assessment. "Of those who recorded a pre and post weight measurement, 93% recorded weight loss, and 7% recorded weight gain," says Lasich. "The total weight loss recorded was 766.45 pounds."
References
1. Cawley J, Rizzo JA, Haas K. Occupation-specific absenteeism costs associated with obesity and morbid obesity. J Occ Environ Med 2007; 49:1,317-1,324.
2. Gates DM, Succop P, Brehm BJ, et al. Obesity and presenteeism: The impact of body mass index on workplace productivity. J Occ Environ Med 2008; 50:39-45.
SOURCES
For more information on productivity costs linked to obesity, contact:
- John Cawley, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Policy Analysis and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Phone: (607) 255-0952. Fax: (607) 255-4071. E-mail: [email protected].
- Donna M. Gates, EdD, RN, Deputy Director of Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Cincinnati (OH). Phone: (513) 558-3793. E-mail: donna. [email protected].
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