Question: Does being obese affect the bottom line?

Answer:

Yes, definitely. The Centers for Disease Control reports 65 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese. That translates into an estimated $117 billion in direct medical costs -- diagnosis, prevention and treatment -- and indirect medical costs -- morbidity and mortality.

Often there is an increase in absenteeism because of related health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes and low back strain, as well as a decrease in mental and physical energy which affects productivity. There are only a few things a business owner can do to impact their bottom line: get more customers, increase prices or lower costs. The bottom line is impacted with employers who have healthy, fit employees. 
 

Question: Does insurance consider obesity a pre-existing condition?

Answer:

Most insurance companies will not pay for the treatment of obesity. They do not recognize obesity as a specific disease and most don’t treat it. Interestingly, insurance companies may rate people on the basis of their weight and assess them higher premiums, particularly in terms of life insurance. But, they won’t cover a treatment program. Some insurance providers will cover the cost of surgery but very few will cover non-surgical treatment.

Question: Do you see companies that are directly affected by obesity?

Answer:

Airline companies, for example, are going to be dealing with our increasingly obese society because they calculate being able to lift off based on weight. Hospitals have to buy bigger beds and scales for people who are overweight. They also have to buy special tables for obese people having surgery. Businesses are going to have to have bigger furniture, like chairs in their reception areas, for example. 

Question: How does an employer raise the issue of obesity with their employees?

Answer:

While certain professions call for weight to be controlled, an employer is increasingly caught between liability and labor, which puts an employer in a tough position.  
 
We are seeing the workplace becoming supportive of people seeking to be healthier and fit. We have done some work with companies where we are looking at establishing programs which include individual medical attention, and lifestyle and behavior changes. 
 
There are programs companies can do to encourage a healthy lifestyle such as offering cafeteria plans where their employees can use tax-deferred funds for weight-loss treatment. This would be a step in the right direction.  
 
Improvements in the workplace have made work easier. I saw a study that showed people switching to an electric typewriter from a manual gained 5 to 7 pounds a year. As we increase our technology, we decrease our physical work. Overall, we don’t need more calories now than we did in the past. We are just too physically inactive.  
 

Question: In the workplace, are you seeing companies that are more receptive to helping their employees become healthy?

Answer:

I think companies are more tuned in to the idea of wellness. Part of that is because they are seeing such a huge cost they have to pay when employees are not in the best of shape. Some of that comes from increasing health insurance costs. A high percentage of health-care costs can be attributed to being overweight, smoking or not wearing seatbelts. Companies are starting to understand the importance of prevention in terms of health-care costs. 

 Michael Steelman, M.D., is the national Bariatrician of the Year, as selected by his peers in the 1,200-member American Society of Bariatric Physicians. Dr. Steelman is certified not only in bariatric medicine but also as a family practitioner. To submit a question for Dr. Steelman’s column, please e-mail him at info@thesteelmanclinic.com or visit www.thesteelmanclinic.com)