Actualis



June 2008
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Obesity: An increasingly heavy weight on our finances
A combination of sedentary lifestyles and diets rich in processed foods is having a growing impact on both public and private finances.

While many look at body weight as a matter of personal choice, the issue has far-reaching impacts on society, changing spending habits, increasing health care costs, depleting employee productivity and escalating private insurance claims.

According to the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey, 23% of Canadians have a Body Mass Index of 27 or higher, putting them in the “Overweight” category. That puts them at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, some forms of cancers, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis.

Without stigmatizing those who suffer from excess weight, it is nevertheless increasingly important to evaluate the overall consequences of our tendency to neglect our waistlines.

The Body Mass Index (BMI)

 

Category

BMI (kg/m2)

Risk of developing
health problems

Underweight

< 18.5

Increased

Normal weight

18.5 – 24.9

Least

Overweight

25.0 – 29.9

Increased

Obese, class 1

30.0 – 34.9

High

Obese, class 2

35.0 – 39.9

Very high

Obese, class 3

35.0 – 39.9

Extremely high

Source: Health Canada

* To calculate your BMI, visit the Health Canada web site at: [http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/weights-poids/guide-ld-adult/bmi_chart_java-graph_imc_java-eng.php].

Dollars for Doughnuts

Excess weight has a direct impact on the workplace. A US study revealed that obese workers log twice the number of worker compensation claims, incur seven times more medical costs and miss 13 times more days of work than their more slender colleagues. The cost in missed workdays alone in

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