Lost Productive Time Associated With Excess Weight in the U.S. Workforce

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine health-related lost productive time (LPT) in overweight and obese workers. METHODS: Cross-sectional study using data from a national telephone survey of the U. S. workforce. Body mass index defined normal-weight, overweight, and obese workers. LPT in hours and dollars was compared among the three groups. RESULTS: Obese workers (42. 3%) were significantly (P<0. 0001) more likely to report LPT in the previous 2 weeks than normal-weight (36. 4%) or overweight workers (34. 7%). Health status mediated the relation between obesity and LPT. Obese workers cost an estimated 42. 29 billion in LPT, an excess of 11. 70 billion compared with normal-weight workers. Presenteeism accounted for 67. 8% of the cost. Comparatively, overweight workers were not a significant source of excess LPT. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing excess weight in the workforce and improving the health of obese workers could positively impact U. S. workforce productivity.