Overweight employees more likely to take sick leave from work: study

A recent European study found that obese individuals are more likely to experience health problems and miss workdays compared to those maintaining healthy weights.

A research team led by Siegfried Eisenberg and Dr Thomas Czypionka, at the health economics and health policy research group at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna, suggested that overweight and obese individuals are more likely to take at least seven days of sick leave a year compared to those with a healthy weight. 

The survey included data from 122,598 working individuals across 26 European countries, representing a total employed population of approximately 147 million. Spain, Italy, and Denmark were among the participating countries. 

The UK and France were excluded due to their lack of data contribution to the most recent European Health Interview Survey.

Being overweight increases the likelihood of needing sick leave by 12%, while those categorised as obese with body mass index (BMI) of 30 are more prone to the risk of health-related work leaves.

“People with a BMI of 30-35 were 36% more likely to be off, increasing to 61% for a BMI of 35-40, while someone who was extremely obese – defined as having a BMI of more than 40 – was 147 more likely.”

 “Overall, overweight and obesity have a significant impact in the working population and thus n productivity losses and increased economic burden,” the report stated. 

The researchers will present their findings at the European Congress on Obesity in Venice on Monday (today). 

The global economic burden of overweight and obesity is expected to skyrocket, according to the World Obesity Atlas published in 2023. This cost is expected to climb from $1.96 trillion in 2020 to  $4.32 trillion by 2035.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), obesity is a “chronic complex disease,” which can considerably increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer. 

Obesity can negatively impact bone health and reproductive function. Furthermore, it can disrupt sleep patterns and limit a person's ability to move freely.