Obesity Has Greater Impacts Than Previously Thought

In addition to long established health problems linked to obesity such as higher rates of diabetes and heart disease, new information regarding reduced influenza resistance has been discovered. On October 25, 2011, the International Journal of Obesity published the findings of a study on the efficacy of flu vaccines in people who are carrying extra weight. Researchers found that the antibodies developed post-flu shot diminish four times faster than normal in overweight and obese patients suggesting a higher rate of infection or more serious symptoms among the group. Adding to the problem, the CD8+ T-cell, a type of white blood cell necessary to fight off infection, does not perform as it should in overweight people.

Greater Share of Health Care Costs

As stated in a 2009 press release for RTI International, obese people suffer from more health related problems than their healthy weight brethren resulting in 42% more medical care costs. Based on the studies conducted by several agencies and research groups including the Center for Disease Control, the cost of obesity is approximately $146 million a year. With a population where close to two thirds of the citizens are caring an unhealthy amount of weight, this amount can only increase, putting greater strain on Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers.

Prejudicial Hiring Experience

In an all ready difficult job market, overweight and obese workers may find landing a job even harder than healthy weight contenders may. With the ever increasing cost of heathcare, employers have become more sensitive to the impact that employee health and lifestyle has on coverage costs with some instituting financial penalties for lifestyle choices like smoking.

Although there are no statistics dealing directly with hiring discrimination practices, the discussion about weight is going on in businesses, large and small. Bloomberg Businessweek tackled the topic of hiring obese employees in an article in 2007. While passing someone up because of size is not a fair hiring practice, reality may not reflect legality. The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) lists a number of issues specific to overweight and obese workers searching for a job.

Defining Size

According to data collected in 2007-2009, approximately 33% of Americans , an estimated 72 million people, have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. The Center for Disease Control considers those who have a BMI of 25-29 as overweight and individuals with a BMI 30+ as obese. The morbidly obese, a protected class under the ADA, have a BMI over 40.