The reason for the titular question is the existence of two random documents among many which all point to the same conclusion. The phenomenon known as “presenteeism” has grown immensely, and so has the societal expense associated with it.
Another branch of this knowledge tells us that since obesity is definitely associated with presenteeism, obesity is a problem here as in so many other areas of life. This is just one more of the multiple problems with which obese children who mature into obese adults will have to contend.
The first media production considered here, which appeared on YouTube about 14 years ago, is a very concise (2:27) explanation by Professor Cary Cooper of how presenteeism was at that time costing the American economy about $15 billion per year.
Exhibit #2 is an article published in 2020, a mere decade later, during which time the cost of presenteeism was said to have risen to a towering 150 billion per year. In other words, the annual toll of that phenomenon upon the economy of the USA had multiplied by a factor of 10. And you can bet your bottom dollar on this: In many instances when employees showed up in the workplace only to be unproductive and ineffective, that was, in one way or another, attributable to obesity.
Contemporaneously with the above-mentioned YouTube presentation, by the way, a very scholarly work authored by J. Borak was published by Oxford University Press.
“Obesity and the Workplace” referenced the “global tsunami” of obesity, which was predicted to “certainly demand increasing commitments from occupational health programmes in coming years.” Four obesity-related issues were listed:
1. Enormous negative societal impact
2. Huge financial costs
3. Decreased worker productivity and increased need for support services and disability management
4. Work environments that contribute to increased overweight and obesity
That report quoted a 2006 study whose results had indicated that “annual US obesity-related medical costs were about $86 billion, including $30.3 billion for full-time employed adults.” It also emphasized that obesity “is associated with substantially increased rates of absenteeism (i.e., more days out of work) and presenteeism (i.e., reduced productivity while at work).”
This is the job market our children are preparing to face. Success in employment, or even simply finding employment in which to succeed or fail, will not be solely about degrees or other official qualifications. It will increasingly depend on not being fat.
But… It takes two to tango
On the other hand, plenty of evidence exists to show that work conditions can contribute directly to obesity, so employers had better take some responsibility. Job stress, shift work, and long work hours are mentioned. Consequently, some employers…
[…] have adopted programmes to incentivize weight loss and the maintenance of recommended body weight, encourage exercise, and promote healthy diets.
The results of such interventions are described as encouraging, and deserving of wide support. The same article mentioned a concept of “libertarian paternalism”:
[…] the idea that private and public institutions can systematically (and legitimately) affect behaviour in order to ‘nudge’ people in directions that will make their lives go better, without eliminating freedom of choice. For example… occupational health professionals should encourage employers to make work sites ‘junk food free’, instead providing healthier alternatives in cafeterias and vending machines.
This tactic of benign psychological and circumstantial influence-wielding has certainly been, and today remains, a fertile field for behavioral studies.
Your responses and feedback are welcome!
Source: “Professor Cary Cooper explains presenteeism,” YouTube.com, undated
Source: “The Complete Guide on Presenteeism (w. Example Intervention),” AIHR.com, 2020
Source: “Obesity and the workplace,” DOI.org, 2011
Image by gugacurado/Pixabay
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