Overweight baby boomers proving a productivity cost

Overweight Australian baby boomers are costing the country an estimated $3.8 million a year in lost productivity with the problem made worse as more people are staying in the workforce beyond the normal retirement age.

The University of Adelaide’s population expert, Professor Graeme Hugo, said that Australian workers aged between 45 and 69 – who make up more than 40% of the workforce – had the highest level of obesity of any age group, with 72% of men and 58% of women being overweight.

Professor Hugo said that “this is an urgent issue for Australia because the health implications are serious. Chronic disease, disability and dementia, which are all associated with obesity, will place huge pressure on our health system in coming years.

“Baby boomers are a critical workforce group, especially given current skill shortages and a shrinking labour market in Australia. Moreover, the window of opportunity to intervene and reduce obesity among baby boomers before they enter retirement is rapidly closing”.

Professor Hugo is leading a project that will study the issue with information to be gathered from public health researchers, psychologists, economists, sociologists, nutritionists, and urban planners. The aim is to develop strategies that concentrate on improving diets and increasing physical activity levels among baby boomers.