New Data: The Popular Health Benefit Employees Are Demanding Now More Than Ever

The following blog was originally published on HLTH.com on November 4, 2024.

More than a decade ago, obesity was officially categorized as a chronic condition by the American Medical Association (AMA). While this recognition opened doors to more treatments, acknowledged that diet and lifestyle changes aren’t sole drivers of weight health, and found obesity to be a neurometabolic disease that varies from person to person, there’s still immense work to be done to drive meaningful change in the space.

This recognition is still met with stigmas today and also raises important questions on how to provide more weight care options for those in need. In particular, there’s immense opportunity for employers to expand access to weight health coverage and reduce healthcare costs by improving employee well-being. With nearly 70% of private industry workers covered by employer-sponsored healthcare in the U.S., representing approximately 153 million covered lives, employers are uniquely positioned to invest in the weight health of their employees, and greater society as a whole. 

In order to better understand general consumer perceptions and sentiment and dive deeper into today's views of what employees expect from their employers regarding weight health benefits, WeightWatchers for Business commissioned a nationwide survey of 1,000 U.S. respondents, ages 18 and above. The research, titled “Shifting Perspectives: Weight Health and the Workplace, reveals that six in 10 respondents recognize obesity is a chronic disease, like diabetes or heart disease. While we still have work to do in getting this to 100%, the benefit of this increased awareness means that it encourages more open discussions about weight, empowers people to seek weight health programs, and creates more compassionate societal attitudes toward people living with overweight and obesity.  

Barriers to Expanded Weight Health Coverage

Despite the increased recognition of obesity as a chronic disease, there are often significant barriers to accessing quality care in this space. According to the survey, 1 in 5 respondents report that their access to weight health programs and obesity specialists is limited or non-existent. Another 44% say they are unsure about the availability of specialized care. This lack of access, as shown in the findings, is further exacerbated by the shortage of obesity-trained physicians — as less than 1% of U.S. physicians are certified in obesity medicine, according to the American Board of Obesity Medicine. 

The lingering stigmas around weight health, combined with the lack of trained obesity specialists in the U.S., have created the perfect storm of societal stigmas, weight health resource deserts, and personal shame.

 Cost is another major barrier to improving weight health — half of the survey respondents (51%) say cost impacts their ability to access care. As a result, many employees are looking to their employers to help them address their concerns about access and costs of weight healthcare.

Opportunity for Employers

More than 100 million U.S. adults are living with obesity. However, despite its prevalence, weight health bias and stigma still exist in many workplaces, leading to discrimination and the alienation of employees living with obesity. Employers can confront this issue by offering comprehensive weight health benefits that provide a range of support options tailored to their benefits strategy, consisting of both behavioral and clinical support that are accessible to all employees when appropriate. 

Research from Health Affairs indicates that for every dollar spent on employee health and wellness programs, companies see a return of $3.27 in reduced healthcare costs and $2.73 in reduced absenteeism, demonstrating the importance of a healthy workplace. Additionally, employees rely on their employers to provide support and benefits to help them manage their health and well-being and according to the survey, 61% of consumers would like their employer to offer weight health solutions through the workplace such as weight management or weight loss support with access to behavior and lifestyle change programs and prescription obesity medications. In recent years, benefits have expanded to meet the increasingly diverse needs of the workforce, and the data reflects this increasing demand from employees.

Much like mental health benefits, which became a standard and prioritized component of employee benefit programs by the early 2000s, weight health benefits present an opportunity for employers to meet evolving employee needs and expectations. In fact, 61% of survey respondents placed weight healthcare services on their benefit wish lists, second only to behavioral and mental health services (67%), followed by child and elder care assistance (37%), and maternal/fertility health services (27%). In addition, employers can realize a return on their weight care investment, while also achieving key business objectives.

The time is now to deliver a new level of care and improve outcomes with better education, access, community, and clinical care, especially with a 58% projected obesity rate among American adults by 2035. 

At WeightWatchers for Business, we work closely with employers, health plans, and payers to help their organizations improve weight health, balance coverage with cost of GLP-1s, expand access, and overcome weight stigma for their members. This is through our full-spectrum platform, with our science-proven and research-backed behavioral weight management program as the foundation to help prevent and treat obesity plus other cardiometabolic conditions like diabetes. Across the full spectrum of weight care, we focus on helping our partners realize the benefits of improved weight health to support managing cost pressures driven by healthcare claims and GLP-1 utilization. 

Now is the time to take action in providing these sought-after benefits to your employees which can in turn reduce costs and absenteeism within your organization, while helping to increase awareness of weight health and positively impact society as a whole.