Employers Can Help Reduce Obesity

September 26 2007 - A telephone survey of American adults (1018 men and 1045 women) in full-time employment has found that many could eat more healthily and be more active while at work and employers could help reverse current trends by promoting health and wellness in the workplace.

The report by Nationwide Better Health(SM), a leading provider of health and productivity management solutions, cites recent research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, predicting that approximately 75 per cent of American adults will fall into the "overweight" category by 2015. The Centers for Disease Control found work absence rates among obese employees to be almost twice that of other workers, costing employers about US$4 billion annually and a greater sum in lost productivity.

Neil Gordon, a preventive medicine physician and Nationwide Better Health's chief medical and science officer said:

"It's encouraging to see that employees are trying to lead healthier lives at work but, as the numbers show, this is not enough to remedy the obesity epidemic. The keys to maintaining the best health possible and preventing obesity and related illnesses are education and motivation. Leading a healthy lifestyle is crucial to long-term weight management - and even small changes can make a big difference when it comes to health and productivity."

Key survey findings include:

• Mid-afternoon vending machine break: In addition to normal meals, an unhealthy snack was eaten at work by 72 per cent of respondents at least once a week and by 27 per cent a minimum of three times a week. The percentage eating an unhealthy snack more than five times a week varied with age: 22 per cent of Gen Y (18-27 years), 13 per cent of Gen X (28-44 years), and 9 per cent of Baby Boomers (45+ years). Less than half (42 per cent) of respondents had healthy food options available.

• The ball and chain?: More than one-third of employees (34 per cent) said their jobs required them to remain at their desks for most of the day: (Gen X - 40 per cent; Baby Boomers - 30 per cent; Gen Y - 27 per cent).

• Deadline diet: 38 per cent of workers overall (48 per cent of women; 32 per cent of men) agreed that work-related stress led to bad eating habits (Gen X - 45 per cent; Gen Y - 35 per cent; Baby Boomers -32 per cent).
• Healthy perks: 66 per cent of respondents (74 per cent of women; 60 per cent of men) said they would take advantage of gym memberships, nutrition education and weight management programs if available.

Neil Gordon commented:

"Companies can provide resources that encourage their employees to eat well stay active and, in short, live the best life possible. These resources could not only help reduce health care spending for both employees and employers, but they could also help improve productivity."

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