Nearly 30 Percent of U.S. Workforce Is Obese

Newswise — Obesity is increasingly common in American workers and is associated with sharply increased cardiovascular risk factors and work limitations, reports a study in the December Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

The findings suggest that being obese adds the equivalent of 20 years of age in terms of increased cardiovascular risks and decreased productivity, writes a research group led by Robin P. Hertz, Ph.D., of Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals, New York.

Dr. Hertz and colleagues analyzed data on nearly 2,400 U.S. workers from a 1999-2000 nationwide health survey. Twenty-nine percent of workers were classified as obese, a substantial increase over the 20 percent obesity rate reported in a 1988-1994 survey. (Obesity was defined as a body mass index of 30 or higher.)

Obesity had a substantial impact on workers' productivity. Seven percent of obese workers said they had some type of work limitation related to health or other problems, compared with three percent of normal-weight workers.

Obese workers also had increased risk factors for cardiovascular disease. For example, high blood pressure was found in 35 percent of obese workers, compared with nine percent of normal-weight workers. Increases were also noted in high cholesterol levels, 36 versus 22 percent; and diabetes, twelve versus three percent.

In addition to the 29 percent obesity rate, 34 percent of workers were classified as overweight. (Overweight was defined as a body mass index of 25 to 29.9.) Compared with the obese group, overweight workers had a similar but less pronounced pattern of increased cardiovascular risk factors.

The health and productivity impact of obesity was equivalent to moving workers up to the next-oldest age category, or adding 20 years of age. Obese workers in their 20s and 30s had work limitations and risk factors similar to those of normal-weight workers in their 40s and 50s. For obese middle-aged workers, work and health status were similar to those of normal-weight workers aged 60 or older.

Many studies have tried to estimate the costs of the U.S. obesity epidemic to employers, focusing on outcomes such as medical claims. The new study is the first specifically to examine the health status and work limitations associated with obesity in the working population.

The results document the rising rate of obesity in the U.S. workforce—nearly two-thirds of workers are now classified as either overweight or obese. As the population ages and obesity rates increase still further, the burden of obesity for American workers is likely to become even greater in the future.

Dr. Hertz and his coauthors hope their findings will help in assessing the health and productivity costs of obesity. They also highlight the need for efforts to address the high rates of cardiovascular risk factors in the workforce, even among workers who are not obese.

ACOEM, an international society of 6,000 occupational physicians and other healthcare professionals, provides leadership to promote optimal health and safety of workers, workplaces, and environments.