Costly and unhealthy absence.
Obesity and morbid obesity are associated with increased rates of
work absenteeism, with estimated costs of $4.3 billion per year in the
United States, reports a study in the December issue of Journal of
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the official publication of the
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Overall, 29
percent of men and women were obese, defined as a body mass index (BMI)
of 30 or higher. This included morbid obesity--BMI 40 or higher--in 8
percent of women and 6 percent of men.
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