Weight-related costs add $12 billion a year to costs of employers nationwide.
"Dr. Vince Kerr, director of healthcare management at Ford, said weight-related costs were adding $12 billion a year to costs of employers nationwide, including medical bills, reduced productivity, increased absenteeism and higher health and disability insurance premiums."
Source: Freudenheim, Milt, "Employers Plan Obesity Fight, Citing $12-Billion-a-Year Cost," The New York Times, 6/18/03, C2.