Treatments that support even modest amounts of weight loss can result in substantially improved physical health and quality of life in type-2 diabetes patients, especially for those who are most overweight, according to Marco DiBonaventura, Research Services, CHS. Around 50% of men and 70% of women are obese when diagnosed with type-2 diabetes–and evidence suggests that the metabolic consequences of type-2 diabetes are most pronounced among the overweight. Therefore, it is a critical finding that obese patients can greatly impact their physical well being through reducing their weight by just a small percentage.
The CHS study also reveals that weight gain among type-2 diabetes patients affects work productivity, including greater absenteeism. In addition, patients gaining weight show higher levels of work activity impairment than those losing weight.
Directionally, results indicate that employers who support programs promoting healthy lifestyles and weight management can reap rewards in terms of higher productivity among their staff suffering from type-2 diabetes-a critical finding, given the rising number of patients now being diagnosed with the condition, according to DiBonaventura. Weight loss can reduce absenteeism among diabetic employees-and ensure that when they come to work, they can perform their activities more effectively, rather than being impaired by their illness.
