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Employers seek to balance worker health as new weight-loss drugs show promise

Twenty-two percent of U.S. employers now cover prescription drugs for weight loss.

By Alan Goforth | September 26, 2023 at 09:07 AM
Credit: Kimberly Boyles/Adobe Stock

Workplace obesity takes a financial toll on employers, from reduced productivity and increased absenteeism to serious health problems that can trigger higher insurance premiums. Although several new medications show great promise, they also can be prohibitively expensive.

The challenge for employers is to provide a benefits package that promotes weight management and wellbeing while holding the line on costs. Twenty-two percent of U.S. employers now cover prescription drugs for weight loss, 45% pay for bariatric surgery and one-third offer some form of weight management program, according to the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

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