Obese people more likely to take more sick days, new study finds

Researchers warned that the economic consequences of obesity are "massive" and urged policymakers to "take more action".

Monday 13 May 2024 01:57, UK

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Obese people are more likely to take more sick days than people of a normal weight, according to a Europe-wide study.

The research also found that obese people were more likely to be off work for longer.

Academics from the health economics and health policy research group at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna said the economic consequences of obesity are "massive" and urged policymakers to "take more action".

The study included figures from 26 countries, most of which were collected in 2019.

The UK and France did not provide data for the survey, with Ireland, Malta and Iceland also excluded.

Some 122,598 responses were included in the main analysis, which were weighted to represent the estimated 147 million people in employment across the 26 countries.

Participants were graded based on their body mass index (BMI), with absenteeism compared with those considered a healthy weight.

Researchers found those with a BMI of between 25 and 30 - who were classed as overweight - were 12% more likely to be off work ill.

Obese people with a BMI of 30 to 35 were 36% more likely to be absent from work while people with a BMI of 35 to 40 were 61% more likely to have sick days.

The most obese participants - with a BMI of more than 40 - were 147% more likely to be off work sick.

But the impact was different across some countries, with overweight people in the likes of Denmark 30% more likely to be off sick compared to those with a normal weight.

Study leader Dr Thomas Czypionka said: "The health consequences and economic consequences of obesity are massive.

"With the current trajectory of obesity and childhood obesity prevalence that many countries are on, policymakers need to take more action to fight obesity using all evidence-based measures available."

People with a higher BMI also spent more time off work sick, researchers found.

Based on the 41,469 responses from people who had stayed off ill - representing 54 million workers - people with a BMI of 30 to 35 were 38% more likely to be off for more than a week.

The odds were higher for those with a BMI of 35 to 40 and more than 40, at 52% and 121% respectively.

Siegfried Eisenberg, who also worked on the research, said: "An increasing prevalence of people living with overweight and obesity will result in an increasing number of absences due to health issues in European countries, with knock-on effects on productivity and the economy."

Obese people more likely to take more sick days, new study finds

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