More than 600,000 people in the U.K. are out of work because of obesity-related health problems, according to a study by researchers at the University of York. The findings are based on an analysis of data from more than 284,000 participants in the U.K. Biobank, the country’s largest biomedical database, The Telegraph reported
Obesity takes a toll on the labor market
According to the report, about 15 million people in the U.K. are living with overweight or obesity. Researchers estimated that roughly 4% of them are unable to work because of obesity-related health conditions. The study also found that men are more likely than women to leave the workforce early for obesity-related reasons
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The researchers warned that rising obesity rates are placing an increasing burden on the U.K. economy. People living with obesity take sick leave about twice as often as employees of a healthy weight, the study found. The findings are consistent with U.K. government estimates that obesity contributes to higher absenteeism and costs the economy billions of pounds annually in lost productivity
Government expands obesity initiatives
In response, the U.K. government is expanding efforts to address obesity. In June, it announced 12 pilot projects aimed at improving care for people living with obesity. The initiatives include broader access to next-generation weight-loss medications, digital health services, artificial intelligence tools and remote patient support
The program has a budget of 85 million pounds, funded jointly by the government and pharmaceutical company Lilly
The U.K. has already introduced several measures to curb obesity, including restrictions on daytime advertising of foods high in fat, sugar and salt, discussions on improving school meals and expanded access to modern weight-loss drugs through the National Health Service
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