Obesity in the workplace is a huge problem. Obesity has become a critical target for healthcare intervention, especially since it’s been affecting the bottom line of companies everywhere. Consider the following:
Over 60 percent of Americans are either obese or overweight (at risk for obesity), and roughly half of healthcare inflation can be traced to the increasing prevalence of chronic, obesity-related conditions.Obesity also significantly increases an individual's risk for other serious health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke.[1]
Employers lose more than $12 billion per year due to the consequences of obesity including increased healthcare utilization, lower productivity, increased absenteeism and elevated health and disability premiums.[2]
The cost to the American workplace is estimated to range from $117 to $220 billon per year.[3] A report by the American Journal of Prevention (2004) stated that the airline industry has already spent an additional $275 million for excess passenger weight.
According to a study by UnumProvident Corporation, obesity-related disabilities cost employers an average of $8,720 per employee every year. The average annual direct medical cost associated with obesity alone is approximately 3.5 times the annual disability cost of $30,567. In addition, individuals filing claims related to obesity have significantly higher medical costs, averaging more than $51,000 per claimant per year, according to the report [4].
Other costs are more difficult to link to a dollar amount. A 2003 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) article cites that “because of the growing prevalence of obesity, today’s generation of young Americans may have a shorter average life span than their parents.”Clinical literature is replete with studies showing the efficacy of a wide range of weight loss and management strategies. The success rates for diet and exercise programs pale in comparison to the results of more invasive and potentially dangerous interventions, such as drug therapy and bariatric surgery. Nevertheless, diet and exercise programs remain the preferred method of obesity management due to their relative safety and cost effectiveness, when successful. Several studies have shown that the combination of diet and exercise in conjunction with behavioral treatment, however, does appear to be more beneficial for weight loss than diet alone.[5] [6]
Behavioral programs address critical issues related to implementing a diet and exercise program. The key elements include assessment of readiness for lifestyle change, identification of stimuli associated with uncontrolled eating, development of self-control strategies, development of motivation through cognitive techniques, stress management skill development and communication skills training.
In most cases, behavioral programs are particularly effective when delivered in a group setting. Groups offer mutual support and encouragement, some degree of accountability, and the ability of group members to pool their problem-solving abilities to generate solutions to weight control barriers.The effectiveness of behavioral programs that support structured diet and exercise regimens has been well documented [7], and the American Heart Association recommends adjunctive behavioral support [8]. But if behavioral programs are an essential component to diet and exercise regimens, why aren’t more people participating in them?
For a busy person taxed by the time and energy demands of caloric restriction and increased physical activity level, traveling to yet another appointment is often the last thing he or she wants to do. Individuals may also shy away from group meetings because they feel self-conscious about their weight, appearance or behavior.
Because there's no one-size-fits-all answer to weight control, a program that is customized for each participant based on his or her desired outcomes, readiness and health will prove to be most successful.Telephonic group coaching is a more convenient and time-efficient approach for weight management – a strategy that confers the benefit of the group without the drawbacks. Participants can work with a personal health coach on their own behavior-change goals and receive health coaching and encouragement telephonically.
Results from MHN’s recent pilot Motivational Coaching Program for Weight Management are promising. Participants reported an average weight loss of about four pounds during the course of the eight-week program. Some participants in the program were trying to maintain a healthy weight rather than lose pounds, so the average weight loss of those trying to lose weight was higher. And all participants reported that the program either “improved” or “much improved” their confidence in achieving their diet and exercise goals.In a study of diabetic adults, telephonic counseling resulted in achieving their average weight loss of 11 pounds over a six-month period and a corresponding BMI reduction of 4.2 pounds.[9]
On average, 2002 healthcare costs were $1,244 higher for an obese person than for a person with a healthy weight. For the employer, the benefits of addressing obesity translate into direct savings (claims never incurred, shorter treatment duration, fewer recurring claims) and indirect savings (increased productivity, decreased absenteeism). Cost savings of $15.60 per program dollar spent have been realized.[10] Helping employees with weight management benefits both participants and the company’s bottom line, and telephonic group counseling may be the most cost-effective delivery method available.[1] Surgeon General, Obesity in America, National Health Policy Forum, July 2003.
[2] Washington, DC: Washington Business Group on Health June 17, 2003; Press Release.
[4] Proactive Analytic Services Report, Disability Management – Obesity, UnumProvident Corporation, 2004.
[5]Wing RR, Anglin K. Effectiveness of a behavioral weight control program for blacks and whites with NIDDM. Diabetes Care. 1996;19:409-413
[6]Wing RR, Anglin K. Effectiveness of a behavioral weight control program for blacks and whites with NIDDM. Diabetes Care. 1996;19:409-413.
[8]"American Heart Association Guidelines for Weight Management Programs for Healthy Adults" was approved by the Steering Committee of the American Heart Association on February 16, 1994.
[9]The Effectiveness of Telephone-Based Counseling for Weight Management. Boucher, J L. et. Al., Diabetes Spectrum, Volume 12 Number 2, 1999, Pages 121—123
