Health and Safety: Employee Obesity Can Create Risks in the Workplace; Low-Cost Approaches to Tip the Scales in Your Favor

No doubt you’ve heard that Americans are getting heavier. The Surgeon General reports that in 1999, 61 percent of adults in the United States were overweight, twice as many as in 1980. And as of 2001, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), nearly a quarter of all Californians were obese. These numbers—and the risks associated with them—are on the rise.

Health Dangers and Workplace Consequences

Excess weight contributes to a number of debilitating health conditions, among them heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, and depression. In fact, says the CDC, obesity can affect chronic health conditions in a manner similar to 20 years of aging. What’s more, the costs of obesity were recently estimated to exceed those for smoking and problem drinking.

All of this translates into increased health care expenses for employers and employees, as well as excessive lost work time due to sick days, doctor visits, and long-term absences for disease treatment. And, as Americans become less fit, the risk for injury and related workers’ compensation claims increases. Additionally, although obesity itself is not generally considered a disability, many obesity-related conditions—such as diabetes (see the related story on page 5)—may be disabilities protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, which means you may have a bigger accommodation burden.

400+ pages of state-specific, easy-read reference materials at your fingertips—fully updated! Check out the Guide to Employment Law for California Employers and get up to speed on everything you need to know.

Corporate America Fights Fat

The Washington Business Group on Health, a business-oriented health policy organization, reports that employee obesity costs companies a whopping $12 billion every year. Last year, the group—whose members include 175 large corporations—launched the Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity to help reduce the impact of obesity in the workplace and serve as a resource for employers on the topic of employee obesity.

Six Action Steps

Whether your company is small, mid-sized, or large, there are steps you can take to make an impact on the problem:

 

1. Talk to your employees. Survey your employees to find out the health and wellness measures they’d like implemented. This will help you determine what would work best at your workplace. Employee responses may give you some fresh ideas you hadn’t considered.

    

2. Offer lighter choices. Provide healthful options in workplace vending machines and the company cafeteria. And to help employees make smarter food choices, you might want to provide nutritional information for some or all of the meals served on-site.

    

3. Encourage exercise. Even if you don’t have the money or space for an on-site exercise facility, encourage employees to be more active in small ways, such as by taking the stairs or walking during lunch. A local health club may be able to offer your employees membership discounts if enough of them sign up. Find out what’s available in your community and pass the information along to your employees.

    

4. Invite speakers. Ask health and fitness experts to speak to employees during lunch or after work. They can provide sound information on diet, exercise, and well-being programs.

    

5. Offer financial incentives. Consider offering employees financial incentives for exercising and losing weight, such as your picking up the tab for gym or weight-loss program costs. You could also offer rewards for participating in a company-sponsored fitness or nutrition program.

    

6. Seek out the CDC. The CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion website has a wealth of information you can use to help combat obesity in your workplace including a comprehensive resource guide. Go to www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm.