Workers with obesity are twice as likely to take long-term sick leave

In a comprehensive study recently presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Venice, it was discovered that employees with obesity are significantly more likely to require sick leave compared to their healthier counterparts, highlighting a growing concern over obesity’s impact on workforce productivity and economic output. This pioneering research offers a detailed analysis of how obesity levels are influencing work attendance, revealing that the issue is contributing to a culture of increased sickness absence, which is straining the economy.

The study, which scrutinised the behaviour of 123,000 workers across Europe, including the UK, indicates that Britain’s performance is notably poor, with six out of ten adults classified as having either overweight or obesity. This finding places the UK among the worst of 28 countries examined. The timing of this revelation is critical as the UK is currently experiencing unprecedented levels of long-term sickness.

Researchers reported that workers in the highest obesity bracket were 2.5 times more likely to have been absent from work due to illness for a week or more over the past year, compared to those maintaining a healthy weight. Additionally, even individuals with mild overweight were found 22% more likely to have taken at least seven sick days annually.

This alarming data coincides with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s appeal last month to curb the “sick note culture” by not overly medicalising normal life stresses, a statement made in light of proposed welfare reforms. This appeal comes as the Office for National Statistics highlights that long-term sick leave figures have surged from 2.1 million to 2.8 million people since before the pandemic, with an estimated £50 billion allocated annually towards sickness benefits for working-age individuals.

Critics argue that the government’s efforts to address sick leave will be futile without serious measures against obesity, a major public health threat linked to numerous long-term illnesses. They emphasise the grave consequences facing the UK, branding it the “sick man of Europe” due to its inability to address significant health issues, with obesity being the foremost.

Presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Venice, the study’s findings further establish that higher body weight correlates with increased absenteeism. Separate studies corroborate these findings, showing the UK as having the third highest obesity rates among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. This extensive research is the first to detail how obesity impairs productivity by keeping individuals out of work, thereby exacerbating societal exclusion.

In the UK, long-term sickness has now become the leading cause of women exiting the workforce, with an additional 500,000 women becoming economically inactive due to this issue in the past five years. This surge is largely attributed to conditions like back pain, often exacerbated by excessive weight.

The study’s lead, Dr Thomas Czypionka from the Health Economics and Health Policy Research Group at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna, emphasised the broad spectrum of health complications arising from obesity, including hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, and sleep apnoea. He highlighted the urgent need for stringent measures to tackle obesity, particularly through the reduction of ultra-processed food consumption.

Policy makers and health experts agree that addressing obesity is critical for improving public health and economic productivity. The government has initiated steps such as imposing sugar reduction targets in soft drinks and mandating calorie counts on menus to mitigate obesity levels. Further, a £2.5 billion plan aims to assist over a million people, including those with obesity-related health conditions, to overcome barriers to employment.

This comprehensive study not only underscores the profound individual and societal impacts of obesity but also stresses the imperative for coherent public health strategies to curb this escalating issue.