Learn more about the problem that American individuals and employers face with obesity.

The Obesity Problem

A National Problem

Two-thirds of Americans are overweight (BMI over 25, including those who are obese)
One-thirds of Americans are obese (BMI over 30)

A Workplace Problem

American workers lost 39 million work days, 239 million restricted-activity days due to the associated risks of obesity. Because of obesity related issues, American workers logged over 63 million physician visits.
The average obesity related short term disablity claim is 45 days absent
Obese employees have 36% higher physician visit spending, 77% higher medication expenditure, and 45% more inpatient stays over the average, health employee.

A Health Problem

Obesity related health problems account for 300,000 American deaths each year.
Obese Americans have 30 to 50% more chornic medical problems than heavy smokers or drinkers.
Obesity can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and arthritis.

Obesity Related Illnesses

A large number of medical conditions have been associated with obesity. Health consequences are categorised as being the result of either increased fat mass (osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnea, social stigma) or increased number of fat cells (diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). Mortality is increased in obesity, with a BMI of over 32 being associated with a doubled risk of death. There are alterations in the body's response to insulin (insulin resistance), a proinflammatory state and an increased tendency to thrombosis (prothrombotic state).

Disease associations may be dependent or independent of the distribution of adipose tissue. Central obesity (male-type or waist-predominant obesity, characterised by a high waist-hip ratio), is an important risk factor for the metabolic syndrome, the clustering of a number of diseases and risk factors that heavily predispose for cardiovascular disease. These are diabetes mellitus type 2, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and triglyceride levels (combined hyperlipidemia).

Apart from the metabolic syndrome, obesity is also correlated with a variety of other complications. For some of these complaints, it has not been clearly established to what extent they are caused directly by obesity itself, or have some other cause (such as limited exercise) that causes obesity as well.

Obesity Related Illnesses?
Cardiovascular	congestive heart failure, enlarged heart and its associated arrhythmias and dizziness, cor pulmonale, varicose veins, and pulmonary embolism
Endocrine	polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), menstrual disorders, and infertility
Gastrointestinal	Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), fatty liver disease, cholelithiasis (gallstones), hernia, and colorectal cancer
Renal and genitourinary	erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, chronic renal failure, hypogonadism (male), breast cancer (female), uterine cancer (female), stillbirth
Integument (skin and appendages)	stretch marks, acanthosis nigricans, lymphedema, cellulitis, carbuncles, intertrigo
Musculoskeletal	hyperuricemia (which predisposes to gout), immobility, osteoarthritis, low back pain
Neurological	stroke, meralgia paresthetica, headache, carpal tunnel syndrome, dementia, idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Respiratory	dyspnea, obstructive sleep apnea, hypoventilation syndrome, Pickwickian syndrome, asthma
Psychological	depression, low self esteem, body dysmorphic disorder, social stigmatization

Obesity Related Illnesses

How much is obesity costing you?

Obesity Related Condition	Cost
Diabetes	$132 Billion Employees with diabetes have medical expenditures 2.4 times higher than they would if they did not have diabetes.
Heart Disease and Stroke	$394 Billion $242 billion for healh care expenditures and $152 billion for lost productivity from death and disability.
Arthritis	$81 Billion Nearly 66% of people with arthritis are younger than 65.

Body Mass Index Calculator (BMI)

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI is a reliable indicator of body fatness for people. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).1, 2 BMI can be considered an alternative for direct measures of body fat. Additionally, BMI is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems.

BMI Categories:

Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
Extremely Obese = BMI of 40 or greater

Calculate your Body Mass Index