title: [Obesity and work: an emerging problem].
abstract: In Italy, 42.5% of adult males is overweight and 10.5% obese, while 26.6% of the women is overweight and 9.1% obese. The economical consequences of a growing number of obese workers are relevant: obesity is associated to reduced participation to productive life, increased absenteeism, disability and need for health care, lower salaries, negative impact on productivity. The obese worker is characterized by reduced tolerance to effort, limited range of motion at spinal and joints level, reduced muscle strength normalized per body weight, lower tolerance to prolonged postures, reduced balance and overall reduced work capacity linear to the increase of body mass index. The present article reviews the most evident relationships between work factors (stress, musculoskeletal disorders, etc.) and obesity and speculates about possible interventions to prevent occupational issues for obese workers.
authors.affiliation: UO Riabilitazione Osteoarticolare-Medicina Riabilitativa e Laboratorio di Ricerca in Biomeccanica e Riabilitazione Ospedale San Giuseppe, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Piancavallo-Verbania, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Capodaglio
authors.forename: Edda Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Capodaglio
authors.forename: Helmer
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Precilios
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vismara
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tacchini
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Finozzi
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brunani
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014937:Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data