Obesity Obesity And Fitness - 1420 Words

Obesity/ Fitness in the Work Place Obesity has become a hot topic in today s society. In our world today this is getting out of control, especially in the United States. People don’t know how to fix the problem. Obesity has become an epidemic that no one can seem to resolve. This is surrounding us in everything we do, and everything we eat. From the Double Quarter Pounder at McDonald’s, to the Whopper at Burger King, obesity is around every corner. The results of this epidemic are hurting many companies and employers. So what can be done about obesity in our world today you might ask? As a result, the cost to companies is adding up. There are also higher absence among obese employees, as well as higher medical costs. Morale can suffer†¦show more content†¦It is calculated by body fat measurements and height weight tables. Although these methods is very accurate, it has been over looked by many. Perhaps the biggest indicator of whether a person is obese is whether or not the added weight has begun to cause health problems. The cost to both organizations and employees caused by obesity are generally related to the other health problems it creates. These problems can begin as simply as knee pain from the added stress of the weight on the joint. Allowed to continue, obesity can add to a person’s risk of cancer, strokes, heart disease, Type II Diabetes and mental illness. In the article â€Å"Obesity s Link to Diabetes in the Workplace†, it states that that the impact that obesity has on healthcare is so high, that it costs in the $8 billion range, according to the American Journal of Health Promotion. That alone is not the problem, you still have to factor in the loss in productivity resulting from an obese employee’s health problems which causes them to take days off. All this adds to unnecessary costs to the employer that could be avoided. Research shows that the economic cost of obesity revealing 39 million lost work days, 239 million restricted-activity days, 90 million bed days and 63 million physician visits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity and associated health conditions, especially diabetes, are responsible