Workplace Weight Management Lowers Costs, Improves Quality of Life

Tzeyu L. Michaud, PhD, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, and colleagues analyzed the effectiveness of a weight management program for University of Minnesota employees. The analysis included data on about 1,500 individuals over three years. The results showed lower health care expenditures for weight management program participants, compared to nonparticipants. Annual savings were $838 per participant including employees, spouses, and dependents, and $876 for employee participants only. There was no significant difference in work absenteeism.

Weight management participants also had a significant improvement in health-related QOL—a difference of 0.0045 on a scale of 0 to 1.0000. This benefit was present for all participants, not just those who lost weight. "Their overall perception about health might be improved even though they did not have significant weight loss results," the researchers suggest.

Over three years, the weight management program generated total savings of about $3.7 million—up to $4.65 million when the value of added "quality-adjusted life-years" was included. Direct costs for the program were about $164,000 per year.

Workplace wellness programs have become increasingly popular, but not all program components are equally effective. "Benefits of a workplace weight management program may go beyond monetary values, as evidenced by an improvement of employees' health-related quality of life," Dr Michaud and coauthors write. They suggest considering measurements beyond weight loss—such as employee engagement levels or productivity—when evaluating the outcomes of wellness programs.

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About the AuthorDr. Michaud may be contacted for interviews at tzeyu.michaud(at)unmc.edu

About ACOEMACOEM (www.acoem.org), an international society of 4,500 occupational physicians and other health care professionals, provides leadership to promote optimal health and safety of workers, workplaces, and environments.

About the Journal of Occupational and Environmental MedicineThe Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (www.joem.org) is the official journal of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Edited to serve as a guide for physicians, nurses, and researchers, the clinically oriented research articles are an excellent source for new ideas, concepts, techniques, and procedures that can be readily applied in the industrial or commercial employment setting.