For the first time a study has attached a dollar figure to what obese workers cost industry in terms of lost productivity, medical costs, and absenteeism on an annual basis.
The analysis done by Duke-National University of Singapore has estimated the cost at a staggering $74 billion … or enough money to hire another 1.8 million workers a year based on the average industrial wage of $42,000 paid in the U.S.
Their calculations concluded that the average per capita cost for a man with a BMI over 40 was $15,500 per year, and for a woman with the same BMI almost $17,000. A person of normal weight costs the employer about $10,000.
The study also made one very important observation and that is that the loss in employee productivity actually exceeds the employer’s health care costs.
It has not been known till now exactly how much obese related health problems were affecting the workplace. The study also made no mention about how much the obese public sector worker was costing the taxpayer … but with an average salary now much higher than private industry, the per capita costs for them must also be higher than these.
The study suggested that with these high costs now identified that employers might want to consider the benefits of getting their employees involved in weight management and other wellness type programs.
If you are an overweight employee and want to impress your employer with your leadership skills and ability to take control of the situation, then you may want to take a look at this weight management program and find out how it can help you.
