The cost of metabolic syndrome in the workplace
With the right approach, the trend can be reversed
According to behavioural change and lifestyle medicine, there are only two paths your employees could be on.
The first is one toward their best health. The second leads towards metabolic syndrome and other related illnesses.
To get on the first path, employees would be working towards quitting smoking, eating balanced meals, drinking alcohol in moderation, and getting enough sleep and exercise.
That’s because, in very general terms, these five behaviours – tobacco use, eating habits, alcohol intake, weight management and physical activity – have been attributed to 80% of all deaths in the United States.
It’s a medical tenet Dr. David Macklin, Director of Weight Management at Medcan, has founded his weight management practice on.
There are ways that companies can prevent metabolic syndrome from becoming chronic illnesses in both their employees, and in their businesses, before it leads to lost productivity or prolonged absences.
But first, let’s break down what metabolic syndrome is, and how it could be affecting your bottom line.
So what is metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and premature death.
If your employees can check off three out of the five symptoms in the chart below, they could have metabolic syndrome.
Currently in Canada, between 20 and 25 per cent of the population have metabolic syndrome, which is slightly lower than the 34 per cent of the population who have it in the United States.
Metabolic syndrome’s effect on the workplace
A 2014 study of 4,435 employees found that 30 per cent of the employees involved had metabolic syndrome. These employees were more likely to take sick days, have higher stress levels, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression or osteoporosis than those without metabolic syndrome.
With those employees experiencing symptoms of illness, your business could be experiencing the symptoms of presenteeism.
Presenteeism occurs when an employee stays at work while sick. Due to the employee neglecting to address their health concerns, presenteeism can eventually lead to absenteeism, which is when an employee takes a prolonged leave of absence from work. Both presenteeism and absenteeism are a $6 billion annual problem in Canada, according to Dr. Wayne Burton, the medical director for American Express.
For something that can be prevented, it’s a significant financial burden on both the private and public sectors.
Are there any solutions?
Research shows that chronic illnesses are rising in Canada.
There are certain types of wellness programs that can improve health outcomes and offset the costs of metabolic syndrome before employers negatively feel the impact in their bottom line.
According to the Canadian consulting firm WorkingWell, wellness programs deliver an average return on investment of $3.40 for every dollar spent. The Public Health Agency of Canada found that the numbers were between $2.75 and $4.
But not every wellness program delivers the same results.
A 2015 study from The New England Journal of Medicine on metabolic syndrome found that team-based wellness programs that target personal nutrition, fitness and other behaviour modification have stronger results than a wellness program without team-based wellness.
Metabolic syndrome is not going away, but with the right approach and wellness program, the impact on your employees and your budget can be reduced.
For updates on how to prevent chronic health in the workplace, sign up to stay informed. To learn more on metabolic syndrome, this Medcan Perspective Paper goes in depth.
