His parents were overweight and he learned to eat the way they did, with large portions and plenty of them. The idea of eating so-called “healthy” foods has never appealed to him and he thinks hunting and fishing is all the exercise he needs (his solution for weight gain is bigger pants).
47% of South Carolina employees are overweight, which increases healthcare costs by an average of $2,225 to $3,753 per employee. Obesity complicates healthcare, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, gallbladder disease and osteoarthritis.
Ever wonder what an employee’s
weight does to your bottom line?
He represents approximately 47% of your workforce. His healthcare costs average from $2,225 to $3,753 more a year than employees with a healthy BMI. If you have 400 employees and 188 are obese, you can expect to pay extra medical costs ranging between $418,300 and $705,564 annually.
BMI (Body Mass Index)
The Body Mass Index estimates body fat based on height and weight. It’s a useful predictive tool for assessing the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other chronic conditions.
BMI (Body Mass Index)
- Below 18.5 — underweight
- 18.5-24.9 — healthy
- 25.0-29.9 — overweight
- 30.0 or more — obese
Obesity can lead to other diseases and then complicate their treatment
Being at least 30 lbs. overweight often leads to hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gallbladder disease and osteoarthritis. It also makes serious injuries more difficult to treat. Caring for obese patients is a challenging, long-term process. To lose weight and maintain a healthy BMI, your employees must reduce their caloric intake, by changing their diets, and increase their caloric expenditure with exercise (it’s simple, but not easy).
90% of employees diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes or “adult onset” diabetes, develop their diabetes in middle age. Type 2 diabetes is usually associated with obesity — most obese employees diagnosed with diabetes can eliminate or reduce their need for insulin therapy or oral medications by losing 10% of their body weight.
10% fewer obese employees can save you up $70,556 annually
Obese employees cost more to insure because they’re more likely to develop serious health problems as they age. If you have 400 employees and 188 are obese, you can expect to spend from $418,300 to $705,564 in additional medical costs annually. We can help all of your employees lose weight and keep it off, with proven behavioral and dietary modifications, meal planning and exercise recommendations.