Obesity and Workplace Injury in Hazardous Occupations Barbara Klyde PAC PhD

More than 1/3 (39% or 78.6 million) of US adults are obese Obesity Prevalence MAP More than 1/3 (39% or 78.6 million) of US adults are obese The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. in 2008 $147 Billion CDC 2014

Obesity Demographics Non Hispanic Blacks highest rate of obesity (47.8%) Hispanics (42.5%) Non Hispanic Whites (32.6%) Non Hispanic Asians (10.8%) Middle age adults 40-49 years of age (39.5%) ; 60 or above (35.4%) Young adults 20-39 years of age (30.3%) CDC 2014

Socioeconomic level and Obesity Black and Mexican-American men with higher incomes more likely to be obese Higher income and higher education women less likely to be obese No significant relationship of educational level and obesity for men

Definition of Obesity= BMI > 30 (body mass index > 30 calculated BY WEIGHT IN KILOGRAMS DIVIDED BY HEIGHT IN METERS SQUARED) Obesity increases the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, CVD, certain cancers, arthritis and sleep apnea Obese individuals in the U.S. population is mirrored in worker’s compensation claimant population as more prevalent with twice as many claims files than normal weight individuals ( Christine M. Fleming, claims management Millman, 2016. A Weighty Problem)

Disability(Derived from 2012 Study by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (Indemnity Benefit Duration and Obesity) Obesity affects both medical and indemnity costs Temporary and permanent disability claims of obese workers are 5 times longer than those involving normal weight workers If partial disability benefits are included then indemnity costs climb to 6 times that of normal weight workers One study found obese workers lost 13 times as many workdays and 80% more time away from normal work than normal weight workers

Possible Solutions for a Weighty Problem Awareness of increased illnesses and injury related to overweight and obesity Regular safety updates and training for employers and employees Providing opportunity for maintaining healthy lifestyle in workplace environment Developing team for improving awareness of increasing incidence and prevalence of obesity and workplace injury

Hazardous Occupations Logging, Fishing , Construction are contributing the most morbidity and mortality rates according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Transportation leads with the most fatalities. Both Police and firefighters suffer more injury or fatality involving vehicular accidents

injury/fatality for Police and Firefighters Sudden cardiac death is the number one cause of firefighters over age of 35 line-of-duty deaths in the U.S. yearly ( Fahy, RF, et al. 2010. Firefighter fatalities in the United States 2009 and U.S. fire services fatalities in structure fires, 1977-2009. Retrieved from: http://nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/osfff.pdf/. Trauma is the leading cause of death of firefighters under age 35 (Firefighter fatality retrospective study. United States Fire Administration, 2002. Retrieved from http://usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-220.pdf)

Take away message Cultural awareness of how obesity affects workplace injury in hazardous occupations Developing prevention strategies through team participation (ground up) Recognition and reward for lifestyle changes

Contact: barbara.Klyde@gmail.com Google: Barbara Klyde Scholar Works ( for full dissertation )