Obesity’s link to adverse health effects from certain occupational exposures means employers should consider approaches to protect vulnerable employees. For example, being overweight and obese may alter the intensity of a worker’s response to certain occupational hazards such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke in hot environments, accidents involving equipment, physiological and respiratory strain during hard physical work, high altitude tolerance, and pesticide exposures. Effectiveness or availability of personal protective equipment may also be limited. Taking a Total Worker Health approach would link the benefits of a healthy diet and healthy weight to better protection against occupational hazards.
Click to return to Safety & Well-being Topics