Job Absenteeism Costs of Obesity in the United States National and State-Level Estimates

Objective: To estimate the causal effect of obesity on job absenteeism and the associated lost productivity in the United States, both nationwide and by state. Methods: We conducted a retrospective pooled cross-sectional analysis using the 2001 to 2016 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and estimated two-part models of instrumental variables. Results: Obesity, relative to normal weight, raises job absenteeism due to injury or illness by 3.0 days per year (128%). Annual productivity loss due to obesity ranges from $271 to $542 (lower/upper bound) per employee with obesity, with national productivity losses ranging from $13.4 to $26.8 billion in 2016. Trends in state-level estimates mirror those at the national level, varying across states. Conclusions: Obesity significantly raises job absenteeism. Reductions in job absenteeism should be included when calculating the cost-effectiveness of interventions to prevent or reduce obesity among employed adults.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that obesity significantly increases job absenteeism, leading to productivity loss. There are significant variations in the national and state-level estimates, highlighting the importance of reducing job absenteeism in cost-effectiveness of interventions to prevent or reduce obesity.