Obesity Is Everyone's Business

Why should employers care about obesity…as long as revenues are “fat” and costs are “lean?” Many myths still exist about the growing global obesity epidemic and, like doughnuts, have major holes. These myths, in turn, may be keeping employers from addressing what is becoming a major problem for businesses. Here are 7 of these myths:

Myth 1: Obesity does not exist in your workplace or population.

With obesity so prevalent worldwide, few businesses are “exempt.” The obesity epidemic now involves nearly every country, income level, race, ethnicity and age group. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), worldwide, in 2014, almost 40% of adults (aged 18 years and over) were overweight, and 13% were obese with obesity rates more than doubling since 1980. Obesity rates among children have been increasing and become a major concern for parents around the world. As businesses continue to expand globally, even if your particular office has somehow managed to “avoid” the epidemic, chances are that your suppliers, subsidiaries, or other offices are affected. Of course, hiring only slim individuals is neither viable nor wise. Even when not considering the legal ramifications of weight discrimination, such a practice could hurt your business by causing you to miss many talented and well-qualified individuals. Plus, a thin hire can gain weight. Which brings us to the next myth…

Myth 2: Obesity is simply the result of and a sign of an individual employee’s choices.

Since getting to know a person takes time and effort, it can be a tempting to use physical appearance as a shortcut to judge a person’s personality, work ethic and behaviors. One stereotype is that those who are overweight lack self-control or are lazy. “Just tell people who are overweight to stop eating so much and exercise more” is a common refrain. Increasing evidence counters this viewpoint. The obesity epidemic likely did not arise because everyone has made a concerted effort to become lazy. Your caloric intake and resulting change in weight depends on what type of food and when you eat in addition to how much you eat. Similarly your caloric expenditure and resulting change in weight depends on the type and timing of your physical activity throughout the day. Moreover, a number of social, environmental, cultural, and financial factors govern your dietary and physical activity behaviors. For example, you tend to eat what is readily available, what others around you are eating, and what you can afford. Many of these factors exist in the workplace, which brings us to a third myth….

Myth 3: Employers can do little to affect obesity.

In the movie Die Hard, Bruce Willis once said: “If you're not a part of the solution, you're a part of the problem.” (The rest of the quote included some expletives.) Unless you are currently underemployed, retired, or too young to be employed, you typically will spend at least a third of your time at your workplace. That means your workplace governs a large part of what you eat and drink and how much physical activity you have. For example, you may have heard the saying that “sitting is the new smoking,” highlighting the health dangers of sitting too long. Some employers have tried to install standing desks or other contraptions to address this issue.

And your workplace may influence even your home and social life. Your workplace can affect your commuting, sleep patterns, relationships with family and friends, available food at home, energy to exercise, overall stress levels and many other aspects of your life. Think about how much your time outside work is spent thinking about or potentially complaining about your workplace. Additionally, your workplace could indirectly affect the rest of your family’s weight by determining the type of food and physical activity that you can provide them. No matter how you prioritize work-life balance, your workplace does have an impact on the rest of your life…and in turn obesity. Moreover, if your workplace is contributing to obesity then currently slim individuals could soon become overweight. And employers should take heed when this happens, bringing us to the next myth…

Myth 4: Obesity has little impact on employers.

A friend who struggled with his weight used to comment, “Guess I won’t be a male model, then.” Of course, his weight wasn’t the only reason why he wouldn’t become a male model, and appearance is only one of many effects of being overweight. Excess body weight, even seemingly small amounts, can lead to many immediate and long term physical, psychological, and social ailments. Examples include musculoskeletal problems such as back, joint and muscular pain; chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease; various cancers and psychological issues such as depression, anxiety and a general decreased sense of well-being. Each of these ailments can then in turn decrease productivity, increase healthcare costs, and decrease morale, which then all affect a business’s bottom line, revenues and costs. Studies such as one from Claire Wang and her colleagues at Columbia University have shown that obesity can lead to more missed work days and less productivity while at work. A study by researchers at Duke University tabulated that obesity-related absenteeism and presenteeism cost U.S. employers $73 billion annually. Another study measured that while normal-weight employees cost on average $3,838 per year in health are costs, overweight to morbidly obese employees cost between $4,252 and $8,067. Each additional body mass index (BMI) point above normal weight costs $194-$222 per year per employee.

Employee weight and health can be a bellwether or “canary in a coal mine” of how the overall business is functioning overall.  While weight is not necessary an indicator of your dedication, discipline, and work ethic, it can be a sign of the social, cultural, and financial situation and environment around you. People may not be willing to share their viewpoints on problems at the workplace, but their health can be an important clue to what is occurring. Many employers can be blithely unaware of what is truly occurring in their workplaces until it becomes too late to reverse course. Surveys and feedback sessions can be misleading as employees may fear being identified and reprisals. Instead, signs of employee health and well-being such as weight can be more objective measures.

Myth 6: With high employee turnover, the impact of obesity does not matter.

Some of my friends based in Silicon Valley have resumes that read like a phone directory (or Yelp for those who are not old enough to have used a phone book): a long list of many different employers. They change jobs as often as they change shoes, which for some, unfortunately, is not enough. You may then ask if your employees will only be around for a short period of time, why invest in obesity prevention and control since you will not reap the benefits. Like a croissant in a microwave, such rationale quickly falls apart. Many of the effects of excess weight manifest immediately such as musculoskeletal problems, psychological issues, and even chronic disease effects. Secondly, just because high employee turnover is becoming more common, it does not mean that it is good for business or the sign of a sustainable organization. As with Myth 5, obesity may be indicative of problems with an organization. But also, obesity may be contributing to employee turnover. When you are gaining weight and do not feel healthy at a company, you may seek other employment opportunities to make a change.

Myth 7: There are quick, simple fixes to obesity.

Every year, new exercise equipment, fitness programs and diet books, plans and potions emerge. Many of these things have had little effect on obesity. Some of these have helped for short periods of time but soon the weight came back. Mounting evidence suggests that single interventions do not help with weight loss. Even established medical procedures such as bariatric surgery (modifying the stomach so that it is smaller and will feel full sooner) work only on certain people and require extensive accompanying lifestyle changes to maintain the weight loss. To make a real difference, you need to have real substantial change in the culture and operations of a workplace.

In the end, the heart of a business is its employees. Having employees who are overweight and unhealthy is akin to a football team trying to compete with chronically injured players. If you view obesity as a completely separate issue from your business, you do so at your peril.