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10/03/2004
UK businesses could pay for overweight staff: warning
UK businesses must act now to counter the increasing levels of obesity among the British workforce or face rising premiums on their group income protection policies, a leading insurer has warned.
The advice comes after UnumProvident research carried out in America revealed that the US has seen a 10-fold increase in the incidence of disability claims attributed to obesity in the past decade.
US employers currently lose more than $12 billion (£6.4 billion) per year due to the consequences of obesity, which include increased healthcare usage, increased absenteeism, as well as elevated health and disability insurance premiums.
In addition, UnumProvident's research found that the average annual obesity-related disability costs for claimants is $8,250 (£4,400) per individual and that medical costs resulting from the condition are approximately 3.5 times the national annual cost of disability.
Dr Michael O'Donnell, Chief Medical Officer for UnumProvident, said: "In the UK, it has been estimated that obesity costs the NHS £0.5 billion per annum in in-patient care and that the cost to the wider UK economy through sickness absence is already £2 billion.
"With rising levels of childhood obesity and predictions that a quarter of women and a fifth of men could be obese by 2005, Britain could see a considerable increase in the number of claims due to obesity-related illness. This could result in a significant increase in premiums on both individual and group income protection policies."
(gmcg)
The advice comes after UnumProvident research carried out in America revealed that the US has seen a 10-fold increase in the incidence of disability claims attributed to obesity in the past decade.
US employers currently lose more than $12 billion (£6.4 billion) per year due to the consequences of obesity, which include increased healthcare usage, increased absenteeism, as well as elevated health and disability insurance premiums.
In addition, UnumProvident's research found that the average annual obesity-related disability costs for claimants is $8,250 (£4,400) per individual and that medical costs resulting from the condition are approximately 3.5 times the national annual cost of disability.
Dr Michael O'Donnell, Chief Medical Officer for UnumProvident, said: "In the UK, it has been estimated that obesity costs the NHS £0.5 billion per annum in in-patient care and that the cost to the wider UK economy through sickness absence is already £2 billion.
"With rising levels of childhood obesity and predictions that a quarter of women and a fifth of men could be obese by 2005, Britain could see a considerable increase in the number of claims due to obesity-related illness. This could result in a significant increase in premiums on both individual and group income protection policies."
(gmcg)
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