CDC launches worker obesity Website

Jul 26, 2009

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a Website intended to help employers prevent obesity among their employees.

The LEAN Works! Website provides free access to an obesity cost calculator, resources to plan and promote obesity intervention programs, and methods for measuring a program's return on investment.

Medical costs attributed to obesity were estimated at $117 billion in 2000, and obese employees are estimated to have medical expenses upwards of 117 percent higher than healthy weight employees, according to CDC.

(Read the August issue of Safety+Health magazine for more on the obesity epidemic and its effect on worker safety and personal protective equipment.)