Good Health Breeds Productivity

Calculating the cost of diabetes goes far beyond what can be measured in dollars.

While the monetary expenditures are eye-opening–totaling approximately $116 billion, according to the American Diabetes Association–the indirect costs of the disease are just as troubling.

American Diabetes Association statistics indicate that diabetes accounts for 15 million lost workdays and a startling 120 million days of decreased productivity. Research shows that obese people with type-2 diabetes report more productivity impairment at work due to health problems, compared to their normal-weight counterparts.

Understanding what diabetes and other chronic diseases can cost your company gives you a valuable incentive to build awareness and strive to promote good health in your workplace. And because the same strategies for preventing and managing diabetes can be used to battle other chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, implementing diabetes-focused wellness programs at work is in everyone’s best interest.

Of course, some risk factors for diabetes, such as age, family history, and ethnicity, cannot be changed. But some basic lifestyle improvements can go a long way: The Diabetes Prevention Program, conducted by the National Institutes of Health, found that diabetes risk can be reduced by 58% through lifestyle changes alone.

Remind your employees of the key points of diabetes prevention: