How can employers best manage obesity in the workplace?

The condition affects nearly a third of adults and isn’t classed as a disability, but as Kate Brown explains, firms can still be liable for discrimination claims if they don’t handle it properly

Around 30 per cent of adults in England are considered clinically obese. The effects of the condition are complex and can give rise to psychological problems as well as physical ailments and diseases. Studies have shown that obese people are around 25 per cent more likely to experience a mood disorder like depression. Similarly, there are well-documented correlations with obesity and other comorbid conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and strokes. In 2021, the Office for National Statistics reported that 10,780 hospital admissions were directly attributable to obesity, while just over one million admissions had obesity as a factor.

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