Published January 2003

Obesity: a costly
health issue

SCBJ Staff

The cost of obesity — in terms of health and economic impact — can be staggering.

According to a 1998 report published by the journal Obesity Research, as many as 39.2 million lost workdays per year are attributable to obesity. And, according to a 2001 report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity”:

• Sixty-one percent of adults in the United States in 1999 were overweight (having a Body Mass Index between 25 and 29.9) or obese (having a BMI of 30 or greater).
• Overweight and obesity are associated with heart disease, certain types of cancer, Type II diabetes, stroke, arthritis, breathing problems as well as psychological disorders such as depression.
• Obesity is associated with 300,000 deaths each year in the United States.
• Obesity had an economic cost of $117 billion in the United States in 2000.

The “Call to Action” also points out that more than 100 million Americans spend most of their day at work, where they are “within systems for communication, education and peer support,” making the workplace a great place to reinforce healthy living habits.

Like good nutrition and exercise — two habits that can help control a person’s weight and contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

To that end, the “Call to Action” offers these workplace suggestions, which are meant to act as “useful starting points” in creating a healthier work force:

• Enable employees to participate in regular physical activity during the workday by tweaking workflow patterns, including flexible work hours.
• Provide a protected lunch time, and make sure healthy food options are available.
• Establish exercise facilities at work or create incentives for employees to join local fitness centers.

Back to the top/January 2003 Main Menu