Grade II and grade III obesity is the fastest growing subset of the obese population, representing close to 37% of the obese population and are responsible for around 61% of total costs resulting from excess weight. Strategies to reduce obesity rates, particularly those aimed at employees with BMI’s over 35, have the potential to result in significant savings for employers. However, BMI is not the only indicator of health and should not be equated to one’s general health.
Other health factors like blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes contribute to overall employee health costs and should be considered when designing workplace dietary interventions. Employers need to be careful not to blame individual workers for their obesity or health status. Consideration needs to be made so that approaches don’t come across as prejudicial, discriminatory, stigmatizing or punitive. For more information on weight bias and stigma, visit the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Resources are available for both employers and employees.
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