The impact of chronic illnesses linked to insulin resistance, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity, on productivity and businesses is substantial. Research highlights several significant consequences:
- Loss of Productivity: Chronic illnesses, including those linked to metabolic conditions and insulin resistance, result in both absenteeism (missed workdays) and "presenteeism" (reduced performance while at work due to health issues). In the U.S., about 978 million workdays are lost annually to illness-related absences, and an additional 540 million days are impacted by underperformance, totaling 1.5 billion lost workdays each year. These figures underscore the heavy toll of chronic health conditions on workforce productivity.
- Economic Impact: The cost of poor health, including chronic conditions like those stemming from insulin resistance, is estimated to be around $575 billion annually for U.S. employers. This includes direct healthcare costs as well as the broader implications of lost productivity due to sick leave, disability, and underperformance. Such chronic conditions are responsible for a substantial portion of impaired work capacity, highlighting the need for preventive health measures and dietary changes to mitigate these losses.
- Workforce Trends: Over recent years, trends have shown increases in absenteeism due to short-term and long-term disability linked to chronic conditions, while workplace injuries covered by workers' compensation have decreased. This shift underscores a growing burden from lifestyle-related diseases, often linked to poor diet and metabolic health, reinforcing the potential benefits of dietary changes to enhance productivity and well-being.
These statistics reflect the broader need for lifestyle interventions, such as low-carb diets and intermittent fasting, to improve metabolic health, reduce chronic illness, and, consequently, increase productivity.
Ref.
https://news.ibiweb.org/poor-health-costs-us-employers-575-billion