Addressing Employee Obesity in the United States (Survey‪)‬

INTRODUCTION The Nation's Health (2005) reports that the growing obesity problem in the United States can cut the average life expectancy of Americans by as much as five years unless an aggressive campaign is begun to reduce weight and increase physical activity in this country. Studies show that the majority of Americans are overweight (61% overweight, 20.9% obese) and that overweight individuals use health care services at higher rates than those of normal weight (10% to 36% higher). Given this trend and the large investment in health insurance that employers make (second only to wages), it appears that employer sponsored weight management programs could yield significant cost savings.