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"Fact: Working in the typical modern office is hazardous to your health. Hunching over a keyboard for a third of the day makes employees fatter, sicker and more stressed than less sedentary occupations do. \nAnd here's the rub: The health damage inflicted by desk-bound drudgery cycles back and hurts the companies you work for. How? The high cost of obese employees for businesses. \nThe amount of time Americans spend sitting increased by 8% between 1980 and 2000. Obesity rates, meanwhile, doubled during that time span. Nearly 300 million Americans don't get the minimum level of exercise required for good health, while the portion of jobs that require physical activity has declined by about 30% since 1960.  The annual medical costs of obesity-related diseases and conditions totals about $147 billion, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity's annual cost to employers tops $73.1 billion, according to a 2010 Duke University study. Sick days, doctors appointments and overall decreased productivity are among the factors that contribute to that total.\nSEE ALSO: Your Desk Job Makes You Fat, Sick and Dead [INFOGRAPHIC]\n \nSo how can employers help workers fight off obesity while protecting themselves from added costs? And how can workers fight death by desk job? \nSimple motions such as picking up your chair, doing pushups against your desk and leg squats against a wall can inject a bit of activity back into your day. Taking breaks for brisk walks and eating right are also beneficial. (I can also personally recommend the benefits of a treadmill desk.)\nThe employee wellness platform Keas created the infographic below after rounding up some stats on obesity's causes and effects, its impact on the workplace and how American workers have gotten fatter over time. Check it out for the fuller picture, then share with us in the comments \u2014 do you think today's employers care enough about employee health? \n\n\nThumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, sdominick"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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