Study: Nearly One-Third of Workers Obese

A study by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer found the percentage of U.S. workers considered obese grew from 20 percent to 29 percent over the past decade.

The study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, said obesity causes serious problems for healthcare in the workplace — having the same effect as 20 years of aging for a typical worker.

Fat workers had increased risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and a collection of health risks including stroke and heart disease.

This study demonstrates unequivocally what happens when workers gain girth, both in terms of their ability to work and the impact on their own health, said Robin Hertz, senior director of population studies at Pfizer. The damage caused by obesity is clear — employers face growing costs for insurance premiums, as well as lost productivity, and employees face serious work and health concerns.

The study looked at health data on workers age 20 and older between 1988 and 2000.