Scale of the challenge: Obesity and the labour market

Our findings suggest a correlation between obesity and economic inactivity, as well as obesity affecting the productivity and wellbeing of people who are in work.

Obesity is not a personal responsibility – it is caused by working conditions, changes in the built environment and our broken food system. Polling for this report shows the public are ahead of politicians: they want government intervention and a break from failed policies focused on individual responsibility.

Drawing from previous IPPR research, our core policy recommendation is based on developing a whole society approach to tackling obesity.