DOC News June 1, 2007
Volume 4 Number 6 p. 20
© 2007 American Diabetes Association
Obesity Linked to Higher Workers' Comp Claims
People who are overweight and obese tend to use more health care services
than other individuals and are at a greater risk of morbidity and mortality.
Now comes a report documenting that obesity is associated with increased
workers' compensation claims and costs.
A group of investigators conducted a retrospective study of 11,728 health
care and university employees during 1997–2004. The researchers tracked
workers' compensation claims, associated costs, lost workdays, and individual
characteristics such as body mass index (BMI), age, sex, and smoking
status.
Analysis of data showed that people with a BMI 
40 had 11.65 claims per
100 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions, compared with 5.8 claims among those
in a normal BMI range. The obese participants also lost more time from work;
183 workdays were lost per FTE among those with a BMI of 40, compared with
14.19 among those in the normal BMI range. Medical claims also were
substantially higher, adding up to $59,178 per FTE among obese employees,
compared with $7,503 per FTE among people with normal weight.
The results suggest that—considering the expenses associated with
workers' comp—employers may want to invest in programs that encourage
employees to lose weight and adopt healthier lifestyles.
Ostbye T, Dement JM, Krause KM: Obesity and workers'
compensation. Arch Intern Med 167: 766–773, 2007.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
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