How Do You Deal With Obesity In The Workplace?

In 2004, the Center for Disease Control estimated that a little less than seventy percent of Americans are overweight, with over thirty percent being classified as obese, and five percent being defined as extremely or morbidly obese. Five percent never sounds like a lot, but what if we put a number on it--well over fifteen MILLION people?

Being a little overweight is actually somewhat normal, especially in women. Hormonal fluctuations, especially those related to pregnancy and childbirth (plus the pregnancy itself) often cause unwanted weigh gain, and women with regular monthly cycles tend to pack on "water weight," which is exactly what it sounds--excess weight that comes as the body retains water.

But the trouble comes when the excess weight begins to interfere with normal, daily activities and routines. This means that if you are an employer with even just one worker whose weight has begun to become out of control, you may be facing the breakdown of your team's cohesion, along with depression, absenteeism, and extra expenses if you provide healthcare.

Don't believe me? Well, an estimated thirty-nine million workdays are lost each year due to obesity-related complications. After all, many serious diseases such as Type II diabetes are linked to weight.

None of the above is a desirable consequence to this condition which is beyond your own control (unless, of course, you are the one with the weight issue). So, as an employer, how exactly do you deal with some of the ramifications of obesity in the workplace?

Well, first of all, you need to make efforts to understand the many dimensions of obesity. Because our society places such a sharp focus on the outward appearance, an individual who is overweight or obese is often viewed as lazy and unhealthy. If that is your attitude, consider refining it so that you can more successfully approach your employees with empathy.

You will want to implement resources in the workplace which help all employees get healthy and fit, regardless of their size. You may want to consider providing a room in the office which serves as a mini-gym with a treadmill and/or elliptical machine.

Encourage employees to take the stairs and to park further away from your building to allow them to walk. You might want to investigate partnering with a local gym to arrange drawings for a free year-long membership. If that doesn't work, you can offer your own incentives to people who sign up!

Talk to employees about getting to the root cause of their obesity. Some people have problems with heredity while others have separate medical difficulties which make exercising a problem. For example, I grew up pretty chunky, but I didn't know why exercise was so hard for me until I was diagnosed with asthma!

Treating the root problem will often reduce future costs from more serious diseases down the road. Above all, treat your employees with respect. Show your concern, and make sure they know it is for their overall health, not just for potential healthcare costs. This is a problem that affects us all, after all.

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