By Dr. Margaret Gaglione, Inside Business - Hampton
Roads, May 14, 2007
Take a look at your business’s group picture
from five years ago and today. If they’re like
most in the Tidewater region, your company is reflecting
the national obesity statistics – and it’s
hurting your bottom line.
The number of overweight and obese people in the United
States is staggering. Statistics indicate that two-thirds
of Americans are overweight or obese, with one-third
being obese. The rate of change for these statistics
is even more alarming. Ten years ago only one in five
were obese.
Obesity is now a business problem. Multiple studies
have shown that obese employees have higher rates of
absenteeism and more short-term disability claims than
normal weight employees. Obese employees also are more
likely to lose days from work for doctor appointments
and they tire more easily.
I guarantee you, none of your employees want to be
obese or overweight. Most have tried hard to lose weight,
but it is easier said then done. They need help. Leaders
who empathize and address this issue sooner than later,
will enjoy bigger profits and healthier employees.
To their credit, many large companies are beginning
to realize the extent of the obesity problem and its
direct impact on profits. They are now adding employee
wellness centers to their facilities to increase the
access and availability of physical activity.
Unfortunately, while physical activity is critical
and necessary, it alone is an inadequate way to solve
the obesity crisis. For example, a typical fast food
meal is 1,300-1,500 calories. To burn the equivalent
amount in exercise, a 150-pound man would need to walk
14 miles.
What is needed is a paradigm shift. The emphasis has
to be on what individuals eat in addition to the amount
of exercise they do. Most individuals, including physicians,
have an appalling lack of knowledge regarding nutrition
and the pivotal role it plays in preventing many illnesses.
Obesity is far more than a worry or a cosmetic concern.
It’s a disease – specifically, much like
a cancer marked by unregulated growth of fat cells,
and therefore we need to be very aggressive in treating
it.
When someone learns they have cancer, they don’t
blink an eye at going through multiple weeks of therapy.
They are there every week for their appointments. Obesity
should be approached the same way. It’s a tremendous
health risk and it makes people vulnerable to many
life-threatening diseases. Long-term chronic illnesses
caused by obesity include diabetes, hypertension, arthritis,
depression, some cancers and apnea.
A recent study in a leading obesity journal demonstrated
that 85 percent of morbidly obese individuals have
sleep apnea caused by their obesity. These individuals
can wake up as many as 100 times per night because
their oxygen levels drop and their high carbon monoxide
level triggers them to wake up and breathe.
As one can imagine, an employee waking up in excess
of 100 times per night is not going to be very productive
the next day. And tired employees are more likely to
use food as a mechanism to stay awake, which only contributes
to their obesity.
Any exercise or weight program has to be as dedicated
to physical activity as it is to nutrition education.
Individuals need to learn how to eat well both at home
and in restaurants. They also need extensive support,
education and behavioral supervision throughout the
weight loss, transition and maintenance phases of the
program.
Employers that have an interest in improving the health
of their employees and the financial picture of their
companies must consider instituting programs that will
provide the support and education necessary to really
put a dent in this growing epidemic.
Dr. Margaret Gaglione is the medical director
of Tidewater Bariatrics in Chesapeake. She is a board-certified
internal medicine physician and bariatric specialist
who frequently speaks to businesses and medical practices
on obesity’s impact on business and society.
She can be reached at 644-6819 or www.tidewaterbariatrics.com.
