In 2005-2006, 34 percent of U.S. adults and 16 percent of U.S. children and adolescents were obese. In 2000, obesity-related health care costs totaled an estimated $117 billion. Between 1987 and 2001, diseases associated with obesity accounted for 27 percent of the increases in medical costs.
Want to know how much obesity costs your organization? Want to do something about it?
If the answer is yes, you'll want to check out LEAN Works, a new web-based resource brought to you by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). LEAN Works brings together a collection of ideas and materials to help you put an obesity prevention and control effort into place for your organization, including:
- An Obesity Cost Calculator that estimates; total costs attributable to high Body Mass Index (BMI), total annual medical costs attributable to high BMI, total annual work loss costs attributable to high BMI, average attributable cost per high BMI employee, and return on investment for obesity interventions.
- Business Case PowerPoint: An example presentation to pitch an obesity prevention program to decision-makers in your company.
- Health Risk Assessment: An example tool to collect baseline employee information related to nutrition and physical activity.
- Health Culture and Environmental Audit: An example tool to assess the physical features of your worksite.
- Employee Interest Survey: An example tool to gauge interest in worksite nutrition and physical activity programs.
If improving or augmenting your employee wellness program is on your list of 2009 objectives, here's a free resource to help you on your way.
Image: Creative Commons Photo "Lunch" by malias
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