Workplace efforts geared toward healthy eating can lead to more than healthcare cost savings for employers. Better dietary habits also help employees reduce stress, balance hormones and boost engagement and productivity.
The number of obese adults in the U.S. is steadily increasing, jumping more than 10% between 1999 and 2020, according to the Center for Disease Control. And the associated costs that come with weight-related chronic illness, higher insurance premiums and medications are taking a massive toll: A report from data and analytics company GlobalData found the cost of excess weight to employers and employees was $425.5 billion in 2023.
