Health scientists predict that by 2030 almost half of adults in the United States will suffer from obesity and 1 in 4 will suffer from severe obesity. If this trend continues the health and financial implications will be significant given that obesity and other non-communicable diseases already cost the U.S. health care system nearly $173 billion a year.

In addition to the substantial health care costs and impact on individuals, the toll on the health and productivity of the U.S. workforce is considerable, affecting the ability of businesses to compete in a global economy.

The epicenter is the workplace as this is where the average person spends one-third of their life. As such, employers have a real opportunity to positively influence the health and wellbeing of their greatest asset – their people. This starts by addressing the obesogenic environment in the workplace, and with many employees now hybrid or fully remote, also offering tools and resources to drive healthy behaviors in the home and broader community.

Obesity is the crisis; nutrition is the challenge

So many aspects of our work and home environments, and even our everyday lives, have characteristics that promote obesity. The role these factors play in increasing obesity rates are obesogenic. Eating nutritious food and maintaining a healthy weight can be difficult due to the numerous social, behavioral, and environmental factors at work – this is the obesogenic environment. With temptation everywhere it's increasingly difficult to choose the healthy option over the often more appealing, cheaper, and more accessible unhealthy choice. Our current food environment has set us up for failure.