A staggering 67 per cent of Australian adults are overweight or obese and the figure is rising. The South Australian Business Chamber’s Healthy Workers Adviser Kylie Cocks tells us what the implications are for the workplace, now and in the future.
There is no doubt it is a sensitive topic and a serious health condition that attracts more criticism than sympathy. In similar ways to stress, the relationship between obesity and work is complex. Researchers have termed obesity as a wicked problem because of the complex interplay between what is known as the ‘obesogenic environment’ and the challenges in reducing the prevalence of people with weight problems and obesity. (See diagram below)
Within the workplace, overweight issues and obesity was identified as a growing concern more than a decade ago, Safe Work Australia released a scoping paper in 2008: Overweight and obesity: implications for workplace health and safety and workers’ compensation – scoping paper.
Creating a healthy work environment for all is a delicate balancing act, taking into account anti-discrimination legislation; work health and safety when there are particular instances in which an employee’s weight starts to impair their ability to do their job or directly raises the risk of injury for that person; as well as situations where an employee may be technically obese but also physically healthy. Health and wellbeing can come in different shapes and sizes.
Create healthy workplaces with prevention strategies for all employees – Australians want to lose weight. In 2017 – 18 it was estimated that we spent $641.4 million on weight loss counselling services and related low-energy foods and dietary supplements. Given we spend more than a third of our lives at work, the workplace presents an opportunity to encourage each other, actively provide healthy food choices, encourage exercise during the working day, improve the physical environment and help employees make better informed choices to move into sustainable healthy routines.
On a case-by-case basis – an employer may be justified in raising the issue with an employee with great caution and sensitivity, and in a way seen as an offer of help rather than a criticism. This may arise when there are concerns the employee can’t meet the safety standards required to do a certain job. For example; they may exceed weight capacities for equipment such as ladders, hoists, elevators, seats and forklifts, or to ensure appropriate personal protective equipment is supplied and fit-tested to ensure they can meet the required level of protection.
Should you decide to encourage an employee to lose weight it should be with confidence, respect and patience. The next step is to help them develop a plan with a health professional and ensure the worker has emotional support through the process. Many people find losing weight difficult and the discussion alone can have a significant impact.
