Obesity/Weight Management Employer Survey and Interview Project

BackgroundOver the past thirty years, the number of overweightAmericans has reached epidemic proportions. More thantwo-thirds of all adults and one-third of all children inthe United States are now overweight; of these, 34% ofadults and 17% of children and adolescents are obese. 4A newly released study in The Lancet analyzes the risingrate of obesity in terms of the burden from associateddiseases — diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, andcancers. It shows increasing trends in both the numbersof obese persons and the associated cost, with modelingto demonstrate the economic benefits that effectiveprograms and policies would have on the population. 5No state has met the nation’s Healthy People 2010goal to lower obesity prevalence to 15%. The numberof states with an obesity prevalence of 30% or morehas increased from 0 states in 2000 to nine statesin 2009 and to 12 states in 2010. Healthy People2020 discusses obesity with a primary objective ofaddressing nutrition and weight status and includesspecific recommendations for worksites. 6 Obesity islinked to many conditions that result in increased healthcare costs. 7 Obesity-related conditions include heartdisease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types ofcancer, some of the leading causes of death. Individualswho are obese have 30 to 50 % more chronic medicalproblems than those who smoke or drink heavily. In2008, medical costs associated with obesity wereestimated at $147 billion; the medical costs paid bythird-party payers for people who are obese were$1,429 higher than those of normal weight. 8 With highobesity rates in the United States, associated healthcare costs can directly affect employer profits.The total cost of obesity to U.S. companies, accordingto the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,is estimated at $13 billion a year, including healthinsurance costs ($8 billion), sick leave ($2.4 billion),life insurance ($1.8 billion), and disability insurance($1 billion). 9 Roughly 8 % of private employer medicalclaims are a result of problems associated with beingoverweight or obese, according to a study in the policyjournal Health Affairs. 10 Another study found thatobesity-related disabilities cost employers an averageof $8,720 per claimant every year for wage-losscoverage. In addition, obesity has a strong impact onworker injuries. 11A study published in the October 2010 Journal ofOccupational and Environmental Medicine revealedthat work-related factors may impact the total costof obesity among U.S. full-time employees evenmore than direct medical costs. 12 The Duke Universityresearch team reported the total per capita cost toemployers of obesity among U.S. full-time employeesto be a staggering $73.1 billion. For the first time, theresearchers reportedly factored in the total value of lostjob productivity as a result of obesity-related healthproblems (presenteeism) and absence from work(absenteeism). The study included data from the 2006Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and the 2008 U.S.National Health and Wellness Survey in the evaluationof individuals who were normal weight, overweightand obese, using body mass index calculations (BMI).While presenteeism was determined to represent thegreatest cost among employees at a healthy weight,researchers found that obese workers accounted for aObesity/Weight Management Employer Survey and Interview Project 3