The average employee in the United States works over 2000 hours in a year. Among the 169.3 million people employed in the U.S. in October 2023, an estimated 30% (50.4 million) were living with obesity. Not only does the high prevalence of obesity in our population remain a significant concern, he rising economic impact on employers and employees is alarming. In 2023 medical expenses, increased absenteeism, reduced productivity, and elevated disability costs associated with obesity amounted to $425.5 billion in costs for employers. Despite this expense, inclusive and supportive workplaces for people with obesity remain the exception rather than the norm.
The International Obesity Collaborative (IOC), recently released a consensus statement entitled “Supporting Inclusive Workplaces for People Living with Obesity.” The IOC is a global initiative, comprised of 12 international organizations of which the STOP Obesity Alliance is one, aimed at addressing worldwide obesity. The recently published consensus statement is a call to employers to support their employees who are living with obesity. This statement is part of a rise in advocacy for people living with obesity, not only to receive treatment, but also to have access to supportive environments.
Employers have an important role to play in fostering dignity, safety, and opportunity for employees living with obesity. Unfortunately, many workplaces still perpetuate negative attitudes, biases, and exclusionary practices towards individuals with obesity. The IOC stands united in supporting workplaces as key partners in creating inclusive, respectful, and equitable environments for people living with obesity.
In their recently released consensus statement, the IOC supports coordinated action across five priority areas ascrucial steps forward in creating awareness in our global community about obesity as a disease and its impact on employers. The five IOC priorities are presented below.
- Recognize obesity as a complex, chronic disease
- Obesity is not a lifestyle choice or personal failing. We encourage efforts to educate employers and employees about the chronic, relapsing nature of obesity, and to align internal communication and health messaging with current scientific understanding.
- Eliminate weight bias and stigma in the workplace
- We acknowledge that weight bias and stigma can be harmful and are pervasive in organizational culture, policies, and practice. We support strategies that help employers identify and address weight-based discrimination, promote people-first language, and deliver anti-stigma training to all staff and leadership.
- Ensure workplace environments are accessible and safe for all bodies
- We recognize that physical and psychological safety are prerequisites for workplace equity. We support workplace design and policies that ensure facilities, equipment, and practices accommodate people of all sizes and promote psychological safety and inclusion.
- Advance equity in leadership, development, and opportunity
- We recognize that people living with obesity often face barriers to advancement. We support organizational policies and leadership pathways that center on equity, remove weight-based discriminatory barriers, and promote inclusion across all levels of employment. We recognize that weight stigma can intersect with other forms of bias, including those based on gender, race, disability and socioeconomic status, compounding barriers to opportunity.
- Champion access to evidence-informed obesity care
- We support employer-sponsored or local community-based health services that reflect the latest evidence on obesity treatment. This includes access to a range of comprehensive interventions - including behavioral, nutritional, psychological, pharmacologic, and surgical options - tailored to individual needs, context, and preferences.
In addition to the IOC’s effort, the Alliance for Women’s Health and Prevention’s AWHP) has launched a new EveryBODY Covered campaign. Employers play a vital role in supporting women living with obesity. The AWHP campaign is working to ensure that everybody has access to evidence-based obesity care options. Recently, AWHP announced nearly 40,000 advocates have signed their petition calling on employers to better support employees living with obesity. These advocacy efforts are helping to shift national conversations on how to build more welcoming and inclusive spaces for all people, including those living with obesity.