Effectiveness of a Workplace Health Promotion Program in Reducing Obesity: A Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Endocrinology
• Public Health

Background:

• Obesity is a significant health concern in the workplace.
• Effective health promotion programs are needed to manage employee weight.
• Workplace interventions can impact public health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a workplace health promotion program for obesity.
• To assess the impact of telemedicine endocrinology consultations on weight-related metrics.
• To compare outcomes between program participants and non-participants.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study design at a single workplace.
• Inclusion of employees with a Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2.
• Comparison of weight loss, BMI, and abdominal circumference between 36 participants and 164 non-participants using t-Student test and Odds Ratio.

Main Results:

• Participants showed greater average weight loss (1.98 kg vs. 0.11 kg) and BMI reduction (0.84 kg/m2 vs. 0.03 kg/m2).
• A statistically significant increase in the Odds Ratio for BMI reduction was observed in participants (OR: 2.16).
• Participants also achieved a larger reduction in abdominal circumference (1.06 cm vs. 0.55 cm).

Conclusions:

• The workplace health promotion program, including telemedicine, demonstrated slightly superior effectiveness over standard medical advice.
• Findings suggest potential benefits of structured, technology-assisted interventions for workplace obesity.
• Larger sample size studies are recommended to confirm these preliminary findings and their clinical significance.