Obesity in the Workplace: When Prevention Becomes a Management Issue
More than 50 % of adults in Germany are currently considered overweight—and that includes a significant portion of your workforce.¹ What may seem at first glance to be a purely personal issue has long since become one of the greatest health and economic challenges for companies. Rising rates of overweight and obesity significantly increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and strokes—with direct consequences for productivity, absenteeism, and long-term healthcare costs in your company. The good news: With a well-designed workplace health management program (BGM), you can address these issues in a targeted and effective manner.
„Regular exercise helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, and obesity."
A growing public health problem: Obesity in numbers
The current data paint a clear picture: According to the Federal Statistical Office, 53.4 % of the adult population in Germany is overweight (BMI > 25), and nearly 18 % are even considered obese (BMI > 30).² Recent surveys, such as the Microcensus and the GEDA study by the Robert Koch Institute, clearly confirm this trend.¹ The economic consequences are significant: The German Nutrition Society (DGE) estimates the direct and indirect costs of severe obesity at over 63 billion euros annually.¹ For companies, this means that obesity is no longer a marginal issue, but a tangible economic factor.
Type 2 Diabetes and Stroke: What Research Says About the Risk
Between Ergonomics and Stigma: Overweight in Everyday Work
In the corporate context, this topic presents itself from two angles. On one hand, corporate health management relies on both environmental prevention (e.g., ergonomic workstations, promoting physical activity in everyday work) and behavioral prevention (e.g., nutrition counseling, health coaching) to offer employees sustainable support.⁴ On the other hand, studies by the Obesity Society show that overweight employees often face disadvantages or psychological pressure in their professional lives.⁵ Effective corporate health management must therefore not only be preventive but also actively promote acceptance and counteract stigmatization.⁶ The reward for companies: Targeted lifestyle interventions demonstrably reduce the risk of work absences and chronic illnesses – thereby strengthening the long-term performance of the entire team.³
Our solutions for a healthier team
Company move supports companies with practical company health management (CHM) offerings that precisely address the described areas of action:
- Diabetes checkup – Early risk assessment for your employees
- Lecture: Movement and Ergonomics – Practical knowledge for a healthier workplace
- Lecture: Healthy Eating – Sound nutritional knowledge for everyday life
- Lecture: Health – Holistic view of occupational health promotion
- Presentation: Live Cooking Make healthy eating an experience
Your development impulse: Change is a process
Change doesn't happen overnight. Eating and exercise habits have often become entrenched over years – accordingly, it takes time and patience to gently transform them. This isn't a sign of a lack of willpower, but a completely normal learning process that everyone goes through at their own pace. What's crucial isn't the perfect solution, but the first small step – and the willingness to take it again and again.
Practice Impulse: The 2-Minute Movement Break
A simple, immediately actionable exercise for everyday work:
- Stand up and stretch both arms overhead for 10 seconds.
- Roll your shoulders forward 5 times slowly, then backward 5 times slowly.
- Walk in place consciously for 1 minute or once around your desk.
- Finish with three deep breaths – consciously inhale and exhale.
This short unit can easily be incorporated multiple times a day between meetings and serves as a low-threshold first step against a sedentary office lifestyle.
Conclusion: The future of corporate health management lies in healthy aging
Overweight is a social reality, but not an unavoidable fate. For companies, this presents a real opportunity: targeted company health management (BGM) measures can not only reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and stroke among employees but also sustainably strengthen their performance, satisfaction, and retention. The first step often begins with a simple assessment of the current situation.
Contact us and schedule a no-obligation consultation to find the right occupational health management measures for your company.
¹ German Nutrition Society (DGE) (2025). Overweight and Obesity in Germany: Living conditions must become healthier. ² Tagesschau (2024). Overweight in Germany: Microcensus data. ³ German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD). New study on obesity criteria shows: a large majority of those affected are classified as clinically obese. ⁴ diabinfo.de. Corporate Health Management. ⁵ German Obesity Society. About Obesity. ⁶ Mittelstand und Familie. Corporate Health Management at PME.
Quote: AOK Magazine (2023). Fit in everyday life with Dr. Ingo Froböse.