Obesity may be keeping 600,000 people out of work, researchers warn
More than 600,000 people in the UK could be out of work solely because of their body weight, according to new research
More than 600,000 people in the UK could be out of work because of obesity, according to new research
Obesity may be keeping 600,000 people out of work
Researchers found that around four in every 100 people with obesity are likely to be unemployed solely because of their body weight, with the effect appearing to be stronger among men than women
The findings have prompted calls for more support to help people living with obesity remain in work, as well as efforts to tackle discrimination in the workplace
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of York, analysed health and employment data from 284,258 participants in the UK Biobank
Scientists examined several measures of body size, including body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio and weight-to-height ratio, before comparing these with participants’ employment status
Overall, 75% of participants were in work, while one in four had obesity. Compared with those without obesity, participants with obesity were less likely to be employed or hold a university degree
Initial analysis suggested obesity reduced the likelihood of being employed by 1.8 percentage points
However, when researchers used additional statistical methods to account for other factors that could influence employment, they found the effect was much larger. Obesity was associated with a 4.2 percentage point reduction in the likelihood of being in work
Based on those findings, the researchers estimated that more than 600,000 people across the UK could be unemployed because of the impact obesity has on employment
The research was presented at the International Congress on Obesity in Mexico
Lead author Dr Aharon Katz said: “Tackling obesity isn’t just a health imperative, it’s an opportunity to boost economic productivity
“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.”
The study also found the link between obesity and unemployment was more pronounced in men than in women, although researchers said the reasons for this are not yet fully understood
Dr Katz added: “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
“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.”
