Obesity in Australia - Research Paper Example

Research Report: Obesity in Australia Name Professor Institution Course Date Research Report: Obesity in Australia Abstract The rise in obesity in Australia poses a serious threat to the labour market as most employees become lazy to deliver expected results. The issue has prompted research to find out whether it is the responsibility of an employer or employee to address and reduce obesity in the workplace. Therefore, this report investigated where the responsibility for addressing obesity lie, what obesity-related programs employers offer their workers and what obesity-related programs workers expect their employers to offer. In this quest, interviewers where carried out with the head of human resources from 500 randomly selected companies and another with 1,350 randomly selected workers who were 18–64 years of age and working on full or part time basis. The results should that responsibility lie both on employers and employees. In particular, obesity-related programs such as gym session and healthy living tips should be provided by the employers. Introduction Today, obesity epidemic if considered one of the biggest health care challenges facing Australia. Buchmueller (2015, p.28) claimed that Australia as one of the nations with high number of obese people with more than 60 percent of its adults being overweight. The obesity prevalence has been gradually growing in the past 30 years. Zimmet (2010, p.262) estimated that if not controlled, 6.9 Australians will be obese by 2025. Obesity is undermining the progress of the labour market as obese less effective to deliver company goals and consumer needs. Therefore, the current trends in labour are worrying needs immediate solutions to tackle the situation. Gabel et al (2009, p.48) argued that despite the efforts, there has been a lingering question of who should be responsible between employer and employee in reducing obese in the workforce. Therefore, this report carried a research on where the responsibility for addressing obesity lie, what obesity-related programs employers offer their workers and what obesity-related programs workers expect their employers to offer, and present the results. Results Employers thinking that different Entities play a key Role in addressing obesity The phone interview (survey) was carried for three between October and December in 2007, to understand the general feeling about reduction of obesity in workplace. As stated earlier, the interview addressed three questions including employers’ question of where responsibility lies in addressing obesity, kind of obesity-based programs employers offer to their workers and kind of obesity-related initiatives workers anticipate from employers (Gabel et al., 2009, p.48). The population sample drawn from the public and private companies listed on Dun and Bradstreet Inc. consisted of head of human resource from 500 randomly selected firms having 50 or even more workers and 1,350 randomly selected workers who were 18–64 years of age. The research reported a mix results in the three questions. Even though workers observed anti-obesity-based organizational initiatives as viable, they also believe that other actors also have a critical role in tackling obesity as displayed in figure 1 (Gabel et al. 2009, p.50). Employees were requested to determine the degree to which different entities needs to have an important responsibility in addressing obesity. The research was carried out on the scale of 1-10 with 1 implying to “completely disagree” while 10 means “completely agree. 58% of the companies of firms vouched a-10 on employees, and 31% of the firms gave the physicians a-10. It means that most firms strongly agreed that employees have a responsibility to reduce obesity in their own way. In addition, 69% of companies scored health insurers at 8, and 49% for the companies scored the beverage and food sector at 8 (see figure 1). More employers think that health insurers should help the employees in tackling the obesity prevalence in Australia (Gabel et al. 2009, p.50). On the contrary, 28% of the companies mentioned employers at 8, and 26% rated government at 8. The score of 28% at a scale of 8 means that fewer companies agreed the employer too had a role in reducing obesity at workplace. Figure 1: Employers thinking that different Entities play a key Role in addressing obesity Obesity-related programs employers offer their workers Employers commonly observed that providing obesity-based benefits and services was efficient in reducing the obesity level in Australia labour market (Heinen & Darling 2009, p. 105). In a data which was not shown, 74% of the employers claimed that programs were effective. Amongst the employers who observed that such initiatives were efficient, 46% strongly agreed it was due to the fact that providing such services demonstrated to workers that obesity had been serious, whilst 50% to some extent agreed. 48% strongly agreed such plan was effective owing to the fact of available evidence indicating that it has been successful elsewhere, whilst 44% to some extent 43 agreed. According to Fuemmeler (2007, p.46) employers are offering an array of obesity-related initiatives such as healthier snacks, on-site exercise plans and health care system. Several initiatives are leaning towards the general wellness and obesity-related concerns. Okie (2007, p.67) claimed that cases of health care program on obesity comprise of services targeting the disorder and disease management strategies in company health plan provisions. Okie (2007, p.66) contended that employers sometimes provide obesity management initiatives either via the company health plans or even program which is independent of the health plans. When companies offer programs independently, what they most normally consist of healthy snack. In fact a research shows that 41% of the Jumbo firms offer healthy snack at the machines as depicted on figure 2. Another approach was waived or discounts for the gym membership, health risk examination, nutritional information, company exercise facilities and health coaching strategies (Gabel et al. 2009, p.50). On the other hand, 25% of the companies provide the smoking-cessation strategies, wellness strategies which clinical tests have established to be efficient. The biggest companies, with 50 or even more employees, were considerably has the more likelihood to offer such programs than smaller companies. For instance, 54% of the biggest companies provided obesity reduction programs like Weight Watchers compared 16% of the small companies and 58% of the biggest companies provided health coaching compared to 24% of young and small companies. Companies holding high rate of retention (95 percent in the previous year) were not likely to provide obesity-related strategies compared to ones with lower rates of retention (Gabel et al., 2009, p.51). Figure 2: Obesity-related programs employers offer their workers Obesity-related programs workers anticipate from employers Both employees observe obesity management initiatives at the organization as effective and appropriate (Thorpe et al. 2004, p.483). Since they think that such obese management initiatives when properly conducted can be effective in reducing obesity, most employees are normally willing to contribute funds for premium services so that everybody in the company can be covered and served as shown in figure 3 below. However, the results range from 51% for the surgery to 68% for the nutritional counseling to help with weight loss. According to Gabel, et al.(2009, p.51) the results presented on the graph about workers having BMI obesity shows that these people hold high probability of supporting paying extra premiums compared to employees who were not designated. When interviewed if workers would prefer spending money on other issues not related to obesity and health programs, 12% strongly agreed while 30% fairly agreed. Discussion Figure 3: Obesity-related programs workers anticipate from employers Discussion The three surveys, two for the employers and one for the employees, demonstrate how the society in Australia thinks the obesity epidemic. The results also show that employees and employers all think that obesity is resulted from the poor willpower and poor choices of lifestyles or poor willpower and, therefore can be prevented (Zimmet 2010, p.262). Similarly, both employees and employers hold that obesity results to health problems which might need health care solutions. Furthermore, Heinen and Darling (2009, p.106) posited that irrespective of employers’ perception on the personal responsibility, numerous employers strongly agreed that organization is an appropriate platform for tackling these obesity issues. The employers have managed to link low productivity with the rising cost of health care and by extension, obesity (Thompson 2012, p.248). They hold that providing obesity reduction programs at the company can in long run improve productivity. However, Gabel et al. (2009, p.54) claimed that employers believe it is not their work alone and anticipates physicians, beverage and food companies and health insurers to contribute towards mitigation of obesity. Despite the effort in research to show opinion of the society about obesity, the study had its limitation. One of such imitations is that the study neglected companies with less than 50 employees yet they contribute to 25% of the Australian workforce. Therefore, this report recommends for further studies using companies with less than 50 employees. References Buchmueller, T 2015, Obesity and health expenditures: Evidence from Australia, Economics and Human Biology, Vol.17. No.2, pp.25-38 Fuemmeler, BF1, Baffi, C, Mâsse, LC, Atienza AA, Evans, WD 2007, Employer and healthcare policy interventions aimed at adult obesity, Am J Prev Med, Vol.32, No.1, pp.44-51. Heinen, L & Darling, H 2009, Addressing Obesity in the Workplace: The Role of Employers, The Milbank Quarterly Vol. 87, No.1, pp.101–122 Gabel, J.R, Whitmore, H, Pickreign, J, Ferguson, C.C, Jain, A, Shova, KC and Scherer, H 2009, Obesity and The Workplace: Current Programs and Attitudes among Employers and Employees, Health Affairs, 28, No.1, pp.46-56 Okie S 2007, The Employer as Health Coach, New England Journal of Medicine Vol.35, No.15, pp.65–69 Thompson, J 2012, Psychological consequences of obesity: Weight bias and body image in overweight and obese youth, International Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 24, No.3, pp.247 253. Thorpe, K.E, Florence, CS, Howard, DH, Joski, P 2004, Trends: The Impact of Obesity on Rising Medical Spending, Health Affairs Vol.23, pp. 480–486 Zimmet, P 2010, The Cost of overweight and obesity in Australia, Medical Journal of Australia Vol. 192, No.5, pp. 260-264 Read More