Risk of Work Injury Higher in Overweight

Shannon Weidemann

Contributor

0 CommentsPrint ArticleSubscribe

A new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology has shown that more overweight and obese people are involved in workplace injuries than others. Researchers based the study on Body Mass Index (BMI) calculations.

BMI is a measure of body fat based on an adult's height and weight. It is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. According to the CDC, a BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 is normal; 25 to 29.9 is overweight and over 30 is obese. Of the 7,690 workers included in the study, 29 percent were injured at least once between January 2, 2002, and December 31, 2004. Approximately 85 percent of the injured workers were classified as overweight or obese.

It is not known if supporting employees to lose weight will reduce the amount of worksite injuries. Worksite injuries mean lost time and loss of safety ratings to businesses.