The risks of being overweight

Overweight related health problems are on the rise. Poor eating decisions in conjunction with lack of exercise are causing many Americans to experience obesity and poor health. Employers are especially reeling the sting of obesity because it costs them millions of dollars in healthcare costs and lost production costs. A person is considered healthy if their body mass index (BMI) is between 18.5 and 24.9. Anyone with a BMI over 30 is considered obese and they are at an increased risk for health problems. There are considerable risks you will take from being overweight; here are a few to watch out for:

Heart Disease
One of the most common problems that develops from being overweight is heart disease. Strokes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and a handful of other heart-related problems will develop as a result of being overweight. Heart disease is actually one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Employers can help prevent heart disease in the office by serving healthier meals and offering healthier snacks. Encourage your employees to get at least 30 minutes of regular exercise each day to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Cancer
It seems like practically everyone knows someone that has cancer. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. There is no cure for cancer yet, but there are some ways to prevent it. Overweight people are commonly associated with different types of cancer like breast, colon, prostate, colon, and cancer of the uterus. Staying healthy and in shape is the best way to prevent cancer. Employers should encourage their employees to undergo regular cancer screenings, especially if they are dealing with employees that are overweight.

Diabetes
Overweight employees are commonly at risk for developing Type II diabetes. Type II diabetes weakens your body by throwing off your blood sugar levels. An overweight individual is twice as likely to develop diabetes as their healthier co-workers. In addition to losing control of your blood sugar, diabetes also increases your risk of developing heart disease and cancer. Check the sweets in your vending machine and start offering healthier snacks that stabilize the blood sugar. Encourage your employees with diabetes to eat more protein because this helps the blood sugar maintain a consistent level.

Sleep Problems
People that struggle with overweight problems commonly have problems sleeping. Many of them suffer from sleep apnea and this can have a direct impact upon their day. Workers are actually losing millions of dollars on lost production costs due to their employees that struggle with sleep problems. Sleep apnea can lead to sleepiness during the day and it may even lead to heart failure. Sadly most people do not realize they have sleep apnea until it is too late. If you see that some of your employees are consistently drowsy, encourage them to go to the doctor to have a sleep test done.

Arthritis
Overweight people are often at an increased risk of having aching joints and pains. They normally have lower back pain, knee pain, and ankle pain. This is common for overweight individuals because their bodies are not designed to carry this much excess weight. To reduce the strain on the joints, the only solution is weight loss. Start offering exercise classes before or after work hours. You might even consider offering one class during the day to keep your employees active. Encourage your employees to stretch often to keep their muscles loose. Keeping the muscles loose and limber will help you avoid having extra aches and pains throughout the day.

As you can see being overweight is no picnic. You owe it to your company and your employees to implement a wellness program. Wellness programs are the ideal way to get your employees to lose weight and stay in shape.