More than 600,000 people in Britain could be out of work because of obesity, according to new research highlighting the growing economic impact of the country's weight crisis. The findings come as ministers expand efforts to tackle worklessness, including pilot schemes offering weight-loss injections to unemployed people. Weight Crisis Hits the Workforce Researchers at the University of York found obesity significantly reduces a person's likelihood of being employed, with around four in every 100 obese adults estimated to be out of work because of their weight. Using data from more than 284,000 UK Biobank participants, the study concluded that obesity lowers the probability of employment by 4.2 percentage points. With around 15 million obese adults in Britain, the researchers estimate the effect could account for more than 600,000 people being outside the workforce. Men Face Bigger Employment Impact The study found the employment penalty was markedly greater for men than women. Obesity reduced men's chances of being in work by 6.6 percentage points, compared with 2.1 percentage points for women. Lead researcher Dr Aharon Katz said the reasons remain unclear, suggesting the gap could reflect differences in health, occupations, employer discrimination or wider social factors. He stressed further research is needed to understand the disparity. Economic Stakes Continue to Rise The findings, presented at the International Congress on Obesity in Mexico, warn that soaring obesity rates are creating substantial economic costs by reducing workforce participation during people's prime working years. Researchers also found obese adults with lower levels of education were significantly more likely to be unemployed, while having a university degree appeared to reduce the impact on employment prospects. Government Looks to Weight-Loss Treatments The study comes as the Government tests the use of weight-loss injections to help more unemployed people return to work. Separate research has suggested the treatments could reduce sickness absence, ease pressure on the NHS and improve workplace productivity. With around two-thirds of UK adults now overweight or obese and obesity rates having doubled since the 1990s, researchers argue that tackling the condition is no longer solely a public health issue but an economic priority affecting jobs, productivity and long-term public spending. More than 600,000 Britons 'too fat to work'
