Non-Surgical Approach

In the United States, there has been a substantial increase in obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every American adult is now considered obese. Obese is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Obesity can contribute to diabetes, heart disease, stroke or certain kinds of cancer. What effect does obesity have in the workplace and how can we fight it?

Obesity has caused our nation an abundant loss in productivity in businesses due to mental or physical issues causing an obstacle to efficiency while active in the work place. The total loss production time is at 11.7 billion dollars per year. According to Shell Oil Company, 11.2 million dollars were lost because of absenteeism related to obesity. Annual productivity loss is between 3.38 and 6.38 billion dollars. When obese, there is a major increase in disability payments and disability insurance premium costs. This produces higher fiscal costs to the federal government. Obesity alone charges our country and businesses billions and billions of dollars each year just from being absent from work or being present, yet not productive

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention claims that “obesity related medical care cost in the United States are at an all time high, and in 2008 dollars, these cost were estimated to be 147 billion. The annual nationwide productive costs of obesity-related absenteeism range between $3.38 billion ($79 per obese individual) and $6.38 billion ($132 per obese individual),” according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. An analysis conducted by Emory University own healthcare economist Ken Thorpe, Ph.D. C, titled “The Future Cost of Obesity” estimates that the annual of cost of health care will sky rock by an estimated 344 billion dollars by 2018 or about $20.00 per every healthcare dollar spent in the U.S, providing a financial imperative for obesity prevention initiatives.

Worker’s Compensation programs first appeared a century ago in the U.S., introduced on a voluntary basis. At a time when few employers provided insurance or benefits for workers injured on the job it provided workers with insurance regardless of negligence at the cost of forfeiting one’s right to sue.

Obesity can lead to diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, even some cancers and potentially death. These are all very serious medical issues that need to be addressed. The psychological change would be effects on self-esteem, depression and even face professional and social discrimination. Overweight people may not be hired just based on their weight. If an employer has another candidate for the position that isn’t overweight, that person is more likely to be chosen over an obese person. Obese people can meet the requirements, but due to weight, the individual may not be chosen because the potential employer may think if they can’t control their eating, then they can’t control other behaviors. Society may judge an obese person as messy or not organized but anyone could be messy and disorganized. There are many stereotypes of obese individuals which is part of why depression is common among obese people. Depression is much more than just sadness. A depressed individual may feel tired, worthless, hopeless, and unimportant. Obese people may suffer from insomnia or excessive sleep, and can have recurrent thoughts of suicide or death. Depression greatly affects the individual’s self-esteem and stress levels. Fortunately depression is treatable with antidepressants and therapy. Children may have bullies at school, or even at home, that pick on

Obesity is a developing issue in the U.S. today, principally created by physical latency and indulging. Along these lines, an increment in body weight can likewise be brought about by mental elements, innate qualities, using certain pharmaceutical furthermore through a man 's conduct and culture. America is among the wealthiest nations on the planet also, the fattest country and our stout rears are the objects of jokes in other lands (Klein 28). This developing pattern remains a noteworthy worry as heftiness influences an individual 's condition of prosperity, therapeutic services costs, efficiency levels and social criticism (U.S. Bureau of Health). Weight is an incessant condition characterized by having an abundance measure of muscle to fat ratio ratios. Grown-ups above 35 years of age are thought to be stout if their body mass record is 30. Then again, youngsters are viewed as overweight, on the off chance that they have a body mass list more noteworthy than or equivalent to the 95th percentile for their age (Bell). Be that as it may, a few people wind up being wrongly sorted as large or overweight (Sturm, 2002). As per a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, around 60 million individuals in the United States weigh more than 25 percent of their body 's optimal weight. The article "Fat Times" states, "If this were about tuberculosis, it would be called a pestilence" (Elmer-Dewit 58).

Furthermore, these individuals subside the average person due to their obesity; a disease that affects 70% of American adults. Consequently, this disease causes an increasing amount of heart diseases, strokes, high blood pressure, and diabetes in our current community. It is agreed upon our society that these individuals who suffer of obesity have been looked down upon and are put at risk of discrimination regardless of how hard we try to end it. To make the problem worse than it already

There will be other risky health issues will develop from not addressing the obesity, and these include cardiovascular disease, tumor of the uterus, colon and breast, high blood pressure, sleep problem, stroke, gynecological problem as polycystic ovarian syndrome and infertility, and osteoarthritis. So obesity is a root cause for many health issues that lead to significant economic costs. According to the CDC estimates, each year there is $147 billion is spent on obesity related health complication, Besides that, obesity affect the productivity of employers, for example, there was loss of $6 million from obesity in 2009, due to lack of productivity of employers of the Advocate Health Care, which considered one of the largest health care providers in the Midwest,. This showed the importance and the value of this problem in Chicago, as affect the economical unstably (City of Chicago,

Equal opportunity employment policy). Most importantly, stop making it politically incorrect to suggest that an obese person is in fact obese. As long as the government continues to allow these people to be a drain on society nothing will change. If a person wants to be considered for a job that a fit person can do better, then he/ she needs do what it takes to be able to compete at that level. Furthermore, a company should not be forced to change their methods because an obese person will not change theirs. It has been shown that although being overweight may be due to genetics the condition of obesity is brought on by the persons’ own life style choices. Think about it; should a person that has put in the extra effort to be in shape be over looked for a job simply due to the fact that and obese person can claim discrimination? I know it is not fair but, that is what is happening with these laws set to protect

In addition, her work tasks were grueling. Many times, co-workers had to take over tasks she could not perform on her own, such as those involving climbing large numbers of stairs or walking long distances (Leahey 1). Given these facts, does obesity appear to constitute as a

First, we do not have a universal tool to determine the impact of obesity on work efficiency. There is the Body Mass Index, but it does not include important variables such as blood pressure, age, and gender. Therefore, it cannot be used as an accurate indicator of the overall health of a

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, obesity is a lifestyle choice that can be prevented or maintained. Even though "weight control is not easy and requires a long-term effort" "researchers show that the best way for people of all ages to control their weight is through regular exercise and portion-controlled balanced diet."(Ferrara, Miranda 1193). There are also countries that are leaning or accepting obesity because of it harmful effects. The European Union claims that if obesity "could hinder "full and effective participation" at work then it could count as a disability" ("Obesity 'could be a disability'"). Even though well-developed countries are beginning to except obesity as a disability doesn’t mean it should base on the scientific facts that it can be prevented, maintain, and loss. Again it has been founded that some genes do promote to weight gain, but being physically active lowers the risk:" Active adults who carried the obesity-promoting gene had a 30 percent lower risk of obesity than inactive adults who carried the gene" (“Genes Are Not Destiny") . There are many expensive, cheap, and even free ways of losing weight, but when it comes down to it it's all about life choices. If obesity really does prevents you from doing work activities why not make the change when you yourself have the power to lose

The first article discussed the relationship between firefighters’ lifestyles and incident injuries. Also, the study discussed obesity among firefighters. The author is not supporting firefighters’ issues associated with workers’ compensation benefits. Apparently, the author refers to another issue in order to deny workers’ compensation benefits among firefighters. The author is strongly biased to deny workers’ compensation benefits among firefighters. The problem of obesity, healthy lifestyles, and lower fitness are personal problems. It is true that obesity may increase workers’ compensation cost, but obesity is common in all jobs. In general, in all jobs, individuals have a freedom to choose their lifestyles, and going to the gym or

Research shows, overweight or obese adult spend 42 percent more on direct healthcare costs than non-obese adults. Also, they are far more likely to be admitted in the hospital and prescribed medications to manage medical conditions, and are more likely to be absent from work. Furthermore, ethnic and racial disparities in certain preventable diseases (hypertension, heart disease, renal disease, diabetes, and stroke, for many of which obesity is a major risk factor) cost the healthcare system an additional $23.9 billion annually (Peitz et al., 2014).

Portly people may also have difficulty in the workplace. Heavy people may be considered a risk due to obesity related disease. Roehling and Reese (2002) believe that fat people have been perceived by employers as a burden when it comes to providing health care insurance. Some companies have chastised employees for their