Approximately four in every 100 individuals living with obesity are likely to be out of work purely due to their body weight, research indicates
The effect of obesity on employment prospects was also more pronounced among men compared to women
Specialists have urged for a “targeted and nuanced approach to tackling the negative effects of obesity on employment” to minimise “substantial economic losses”
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In conducting the study, academics at the University of York examined data from 284,258 UK Biobank participants
This encompassed their body mass index (BMI), alongside weight-to-height and waist-to-hip measurements
The overall employment figure stood at 75.5%, with roughly one in four people classified as obese, possessing BMIs exceeding 30
These individuals typically demonstrated lower employment figures and were less inclined to hold university qualifications than those not classified as obese
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Conventional analysis revealed obesity was associated with a 1.8 percentage point drop in the probability of being employed
Nevertheless, more sophisticated analysis that better accounted for confounding variables found it was linked to a 4.2 percentage point reduction
The results, unveiled at the International Congress on Obesity in Mexico, point to a “statistically significant” adverse impact of obesity on employment, scientists said
Principal author Dr Aharon Katz, from the University of York, commented: “Tackling obesity isn’t just a health imperative, it’s an opportunity to boost economic productivity
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“Because obesity affects workers in the prime years of their working lives, it may have profound effects on their working careers, individual health and societal costs
“These findings call for a targeted and nuanced approach to tackling the negative effects of obesity on employment and to mitigate the substantial economic losses of soaring obesity rates
“Policy interventions and workplace initiatives should aim to raise awareness, challenge biases, and promote inclusivity.”
Obesity was also associated with a more significant drop in employment amongst men
For women, the estimated decline in employment reduced from 4.7% to 2.1%, while for men it rose from 3.9% to 6.6%
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Dr Katz noted “further research is needed to determine why obesity appears to have a stronger employment effect among men than women”
He continued: “These contrasting findings point to different labour-market consequences of obesity for men and women
“The differences may reflect variations in occupational sorting, health-related work limitations, employer discrimination, or broader social roles that influence employment decisions differently by gender.”
