Photo Credit: Antonio_Diaz

Loss of work productivity among privately insured U.S. employees increased with higher BMI categories, according to a study published online in Obesity Science and Practice. Researchers compared work productivity loss among 719,482 employees: 106,631 were normal weight, 230,637 were overweight, 185,850 were obesity class 1 (BMI 30–34.9), 101,909 were obesity class 2 (BMI 35–39.9), and 94,455 were obesity class 3 (BMI ≥40). Over 12 months, the average number of absence hours as well as claims for short-term disability, long-term disability, and worker’s compensation were higher with each subsequent BMI category. For example, employees in the normal weight cohort averaged 262 absence hours annually compared with 304 for those in the obesity class 3 cohort. Employer costs associated with absenteeism, short-term disability, long-term disability, and worker’s compensation were an estimated $1036, $611, $38, and $95 higher per year, respectively, for the obesity class 3 cohort compared with the normal weight cohort.