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The Impact of Obesity in the Workplace: a Review of Contributing Factors, Consequences and Potential Solutions

  • The Obesity Epidemic: Causes and Consequences (A Peeters and A Cameron, Section Editors)
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Abstract

This narrative review summarized findings from previous reviews and the most recently published studies, regarding the following: (1) the association between two occupational risk factors—shift work and sedentary work—and obesity, (2) the effects of obesity on workplace productivity and (3) the effectiveness of workplace interventions aimed at preventing or reducing obesity. Despite some inconsistencies in findings, there is convincing evidence that shift work increases the risk of obesity, while most studies did not show a significant association between sedentary work and obesity. Overweight and obesity were found to be associated with absenteeism, disability pension and overall work impairment, whilst evidence of their relationship with presenteeism, unemployment and early retirement was not consistent. Due to the vast heterogeneity in the types of workplace-based interventions to prevent or treat obesity, no sound conclusions can as yet be drawn about their overall effectiveness and best practice recommendations for their implementation.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Active Living & Public Health Group, Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living (ISEAL), Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia

    Nipun Shrestha & Zeljko Pedisic

  2. Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

    Sarah Neil-Sztramko

  3. Rehabilitation, South Karelia Social and Health Care District Eksote, Lappeenranta, Finland

    Katriina T. Kukkonen-Harjula

  4. Faculty of Psychology &Educational Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    Veerle Hermans

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  1. Nipun Shrestha
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  2. Zeljko Pedisic
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  3. Sarah Neil-Sztramko
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  4. Katriina T. Kukkonen-Harjula
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Correspondence to Nipun Shrestha.

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Nipun Shrestha has received financial support through a VU Research Scholarship 2016 from Victoria University.

Zeljko Pedisic declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Sarah Neil-Sztramko has received financial support through a Doctoral Student Award and Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Katriina T. Kukkonen-Harjula declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Veerle Hermans declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on The Obesity Epidemic: Causes and Consequences

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Shrestha, N., Pedisic, Z., Neil-Sztramko, S. et al. The Impact of Obesity in the Workplace: a Review of Contributing Factors, Consequences and Potential Solutions. Curr Obes Rep 5, 344–360 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-016-0227-6

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