Obese workers may have lower labor productivity – Study

Washington, Jun 20 (Prensa Latina) Employees with overweight or obesity are more likely to develop weight-related comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, which all contribute to lower work productivity. People with obesity may have lower work productivity due to increased risk of illness, contributing to increased costs for employers, according to industry-supported research being presented Saturday at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting, in Chicago, Ill.

June 20, 2023
17:08

The researchers found costs associated with absenteeism, short and long-term disability, and worker’s compensation were $891, $623, $41, and $112 higher per year (respectively) for people with obesity compared to those with normal weight.

According to the World Obesity Federation’s 2023 atlas, obesity rates are surging particularly fast among children and in low-income countries.

All States must do everything possible to avoid passing health, social and economic costs on to younger generation.

According to the report, childhood obesity could more than double from 2020 levels, to 208 million boys and 175 million girls by 2035.

Experts stressed the cost to society is significant as a result of overweight-related health conditions, amounting to $4 trillion annually by 2035, or 3% of global domestic product (GDP).

pll/mem/joe