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WICHITA, Kan. — The seven most common chronic diseases — six of which can be caused or worsened by obesity — are costing employers $1.1 trillion in lost productivity, a recent study says.
The Milken Institute, an economic think tank, released its research last month showing that these common diseases — including diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure — have an annual economic impact in the U.S. of $1.3 trillion.
The kicker is that much of the cost is avoidable, researchers say. Because employers supply most of the nation’s health benefits, the onus likely will fall on them to improve the health of their employees.
“Among the avoidable risk factors is obesity, which happens to be the fastest-growing risk factor in any of the ones we profiled in our study,” said Kevin Klowden, a managing economist with Milken.
A 2003 study found obesity and overweight conditions contribute as much as $93 billion to the nation’s annual medical bill.
Last year, employers nationwide absorbed premium increases ranging from 8.3 percent to 9.6 percent among the most popular health plans, according to a health plan survey by United Benefit Advisors, an association of independent brokers.
This year, employers projected they will see increases ranging from 11.4 percent to more than 12 percent, a jump that could cripple some businesses already struggling to maintain viable employee benefits.
Many say they already have overburdened their employees by shifting costs to them through everything from high-deductible health plans to higher co-pays and out-of-pocket limits.
That’s why employers are intrigued by the potential savings from in-house wellness programs.
With costs relating to health and productivity accounting for at least 20 percent of their payrolls, employers have a significant opportunity to influence their bottom lines, industry experts said.
OBESITY’S COSTS

• Individuals who are obese have 30 to 50 percent more chronic medical problems than those who smoke or drink heavily, according to a UCLA study.
• Roughly 8 percent of private employer medical claims are a result of problems associated with being overweight or obese, according to policy journal Health Affairs.
• Another study found that obesity-related disabilities cost employers an average of $8,720 per claimant every year for wage-loss coverage.
• The total cost of obesity to U.S. companies is estimated at $13 billion a year, including health insurance costs ($8 billion), sick leave ($2.4 billion), life insurance ($1.8 billion), and disability insurance ($1 billion), according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• The percentage of U.S. adults classified as obese roughly doubled between 1980 and 2000, from 15 percent to 31 percent, federal researchers found.