Skip to main content

A longitudinal study on the relationship between weight loss, medical expenditures, and absenteeism among overweight employees in the WAY to Health study.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Finkelstein, EA; Linnan, LA; Tate, DF; Leese, PJ
Published in: J Occup Environ Med
December 2009

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the extent to which successful weight loss among overweight/obese employees translates into subsequent savings in medical expenditures and absenteeism. METHODS: This analysis relied on medical claims and absenteeism data collected from overweight/obese employees at 17 community colleges in North Carolina. RESULTS: We find no evidence that participants achieving at least a 5% weight loss experienced reduced medical expenditures or lower absenteeism during the 12-month weight loss intervention or in the subsequent 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a quick return on investment from weight loss programs, even effective ones, is unlikely. Nevertheless, as with other employee benefit decisions, the decision about whether to offer weight loss programs should take into account many factors, such as employee health, in addition to the potential for a quick return on investment.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Occup Environ Med

DOI

EISSN

1536-5948

Publication Date

December 2009

Volume

51

Issue

12

Start / End Page

1367 / 1373

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Workplace
  • Weight Loss
  • Universities
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Regression Analysis
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Overweight
  • Occupational Health Services
  • North Carolina
  • Middle Aged
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Finkelstein, E. A., Linnan, L. A., Tate, D. F., & Leese, P. J. (2009). A longitudinal study on the relationship between weight loss, medical expenditures, and absenteeism among overweight employees in the WAY to Health study. J Occup Environ Med, 51(12), 1367–1373. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181c2bb56
Finkelstein, Eric A., Laura A. Linnan, Deborah F. Tate, and Peter J. Leese. “A longitudinal study on the relationship between weight loss, medical expenditures, and absenteeism among overweight employees in the WAY to Health study.J Occup Environ Med 51, no. 12 (December 2009): 1367–73. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181c2bb56.
Finkelstein, Eric A., et al. “A longitudinal study on the relationship between weight loss, medical expenditures, and absenteeism among overweight employees in the WAY to Health study.J Occup Environ Med, vol. 51, no. 12, Dec. 2009, pp. 1367–73. Pubmed, doi:10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181c2bb56.

Published In

J Occup Environ Med

DOI

EISSN

1536-5948

Publication Date

December 2009

Volume

51

Issue

12

Start / End Page

1367 / 1373

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Workplace
  • Weight Loss
  • Universities
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Regression Analysis
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Overweight
  • Occupational Health Services
  • North Carolina
  • Middle Aged