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Obesity

Employee obesity has been in the spotlight since the European Court of Justice (ECJ) decision in FOA, acting on behalf of Karsten Kaltoft v Billund Kommune in late 2014. In the case, the ECJ held that it is possible for obesity to constitute a disability under discrimination laws.

It did not take long for the UK courts and tribunals to apply this ruling. In early 2015, a Northern Ireland tribunal in Bickerstaff v Butcher upheld an individual's complaint of harassment after comments were made at work about his weight.


    • Blood pressure
    • Anxiety
    • Depression

    A third of Britons face obesity postcode lottery, says royal college

    by Nic Paton 7 Mar 2022
    by Nic Paton 7 Mar 2022

    A third of the country does not have access to obesity treatment, despite weight having become a growing issue during...

    • Blood pressure
    • Fit for Work
    • Conditions

    OH urged to take a lead on supporting obesity in the workplace

    by Nic Paton 4 Mar 2022
    by Nic Paton 4 Mar 2022

    Occupational health professionals need to be proactive in supporting workers living with obesity to remain in work.

    • Disability
    • Diabetes
    • Sickness absence management

    Government plans to ‘level up’ health by tackling poor diet and smoking

    by Ashleigh Webber 3 Feb 2022
    by Ashleigh Webber 3 Feb 2022

    The government's levelling up white paper outlines plans for more investment in weight management services and healthier eating.

    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Latest News
    • Obesity

    Weight bias: How employers can address negative attitudes

    by Dr Stuart W. Flint and Stuart Sherman 3 Feb 2022
    by Dr Stuart W. Flint and Stuart Sherman 3 Feb 2022

    Negative attitudes surrounding weight can have a significant effect on employee engagement and inclusion, and may even result in a...

    • Blood pressure
    • Coronavirus
    • Cancer

    Links between obesity and more severe Covid-19 highlighted

    by Nic Paton 4 Jan 2022
    by Nic Paton 4 Jan 2022

    With many of us kicking off the new year by making resolutions to get fitter and healthier, the government has...

    • Obesity
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
    • OHW+

    Work pressures leading to unhealthy eating habits

    by Ashleigh Webber 19 Nov 2021
    by Ashleigh Webber 19 Nov 2021

    One in four employees is too ‘stressed’ to think about eating healthily at work, according to a survey that exposes...

    • Blood pressure
    • Diabetes
    • Obesity

    Putting nutrition on the post-pandemic workplace agenda

    by Liz Forte 2 Aug 2021
    by Liz Forte 2 Aug 2021

    Occupational health practitioners need to be proactive in encouraging new thinking in areas such as workplace catering.

    • Blood pressure
    • Disability
    • Diabetes

    Fighting fat: how occupational health can help tackle obesity

    by Nic Paton 1 Jul 2021
    by Nic Paton 1 Jul 2021

    Obesity was a growing problem even before the pandemic, but the links between being overweight and poorer outcomes from a...

    • Blood pressure
    • Disability
    • Diabetes

    ‘Urgent need’ to address UK obesity amid Covid outcomes warning

    by Nic Paton 5 Mar 2021
    by Nic Paton 5 Mar 2021

    There is an “urgent need” to address obesity levels in the UK, the Royal College of Physicians has warned, in...

    • Research
    • Obesity
    • Wellbeing and health promotion

    Study confirms link between physical activity and lower cardiovascular risk

    by Ashleigh Webber 12 Jan 2021
    by Ashleigh Webber 12 Jan 2021

    Physical activity can be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, with the greatest benefit seen among those who...

    • E-cigarettes
    • Blood pressure
    • Research

    Sixteen per cent of adults could have an eating disorder

    by Ashleigh Webber 6 Jan 2021
    by Ashleigh Webber 6 Jan 2021

    One in five women and one in eight men screened positive for a possible eating disorder in 2019, recently published...

    • Research
    • Health surveillance
    • Obesity

    Government’s obesity strategy not working, research finds

    by Ashleigh Webber 15 Dec 2020
    by Ashleigh Webber 15 Dec 2020

    The government’s campaign to encourage people to lose weight in order to reduce the risk Covid-19 poses to their health...

    • Cancer
    • Depression
    • Cardiac

    Firms should have legal duty to protect night workers’ health, says Co-op

    by Ashleigh Webber 30 Nov 2020
    by Ashleigh Webber 30 Nov 2020

    The Co-op has launched a nightshift workers’ health and wellbeing ‘manifesto’ in Parliament, which has called for employers to be...

    • Stress
    • Stress
    • Mental health conditions

    Insurer recommends ‘fake commute’ to boost home workers’ health

    by Ashleigh Webber 27 Nov 2020
    by Ashleigh Webber 27 Nov 2020

    Employees have been encouraged to adopt a ‘fake commute’ while working from home, with research finding almost three in five...

    • Reasonable adjustments
    • Coronavirus
    • Disability discrimination

    Why placing people in groups based on risk goes against inclusivity

    by Angela Matthews 29 Jun 2020
    by Angela Matthews 29 Jun 2020

    As employers prepare to return to work, many are considering certain groups of employees based on their risk factors. But...

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