HealthFitness praises IOM for in-depth report on obesity in the U.S.

In some 478 pages, the Institute of Medicine laid out a thorough case this week to re-cast the nation's growing obesity problem as both an individual and societal responsibility to solve. Despite both private and public efforts over the past decade to address the problem, obesity-related illnesses cost an estimated $190 billion a year in the first five years of the millennium.

Paul Lotharius, president and CEO of Minneapolis-based HealthFitness, agreed with the IOM's finding that solving the problem will take more than just individual willpower, and that employers have an important role to play through worksite health management programs.

"We applaud the IOM for its in-depth and revealing report on obesity in the U.S. It's commendable that the IOM developed goals, strategies and recommendations for combating obesity, an epidemic that impacts more than one-third of adults and nearly one-fifth of children and adolescents across the country," Lotharius said.

Among its recommendations, the IOM urges health care providers, insurers and employers to accept an expanded role in obesity prevention. HealthFitness supports this concept and encourages employers and their staffs to forge health and nutrition-related partnerships designed to build a stronger, healthier workforce.

According to the report, employed adults spend a quarter of their lives at work, making it an ideal setting for promoting healthy eating and active living. Obesity increases employer costs, both in terms of productivity and direct health claims.

"Improving employee health in today's competitive marketplace is a bottom-line issue for employers, who face significant challenges with a graying workforce and historically high rates of obesity," Lotharius said. "Chronic health conditions, many that are exacerbated by weight, are on the rise, adding to the cost of health care delivery and lost productivity through disability claims and absenteeism.

"Over the last decade, more employers than ever have recognized the importance of proper exercise and nutrition and have implemented health management programs to help employees change their risk for chronic disease," he said. "Employers increasingly rank health management high on their priority list. The IOM's recommendations underscore the importance of supporting healthy food choices and physical activity in the work environment," Lotharius said.