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The cost of physical inactivity
Cost calculating tool helps factor costs of medical care, worker compensation and lost productivity.
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The benefits of regular physical activity are well documented and generally understood by most people. Individuals who are physically active on a regular basis feel better, are more productive and generally are less prone to chronic diseases.
As a diabetes educator, making the case to a patient/client to begin physical activity is not a difficult one. Until recently, making the case to businesses, employer groups, and the community to support physical activity efforts was not as easy. The usual response has been that providing time off, equipment or facilities for employees or citizens to engage in physical activity was cost prohibitive. However, this is not factoring all variables into the cost equation. Typically the cost of physical inactivity is rarely understood or factored into decision making.
 Mary M. Austin |
The Physical Inactivity Cost Calculator was a project of the Active Living Leadership with funding from Fifty Plus Lifelong Fitness along with the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity, which is supported by 15 other organizations including the Physical Activity and Health branch of the CDC. The calculator uses a science-based formula to compute the estimated cost of physical inactivity based on an aggregate of medical care, workers’ compensation and loss of productivity costs including absenteeism and presenteeism. The tool was developed under the direction of David Chenoweth, PhD, FAWHP, president of Health Management Associates, an econometrics data analysis and evaluation firm. A detailed description of the methods used to develop the tool, as well as the actual calculator, can be found at the Physical Inactivity Cost Calculator website, which is found on the East Carolina University Department of Health Education and Promotion webpage (ecu.edu/picostcalc/).
The calculator requires that you input the following information: the state where your business or community is located; number of adults (18 years of age or older); number of working adults (18 years of age or older); percentage of adults 65 or older; and median per capita salary of workforce (provided through a link to the U.S. Census Bureau).
Example: Let’s assume a Michigan-based small manufacturing company with 500 employees (5% over 65 years of age) wants to know what their cost of physical inactivity is. When the following information is inputted into the tool, 500 adults, 500 working adults, 5% over 65 years of age, and $44,667 as the median per capital salary, then following results are obtained (See chart).
For this example, the calculator automatically estimates that if as little as 5% of the inactive employees become physically active, the company could save an estimated $64,582 per year.
The easy-to-use online tool aids in better understanding of the cost of medical care, workers compensation and lost productivity that is associated with physical inactivity in businesses, or city or state communities. Additional resources and information to help re-allocate resources and plan for programs and initiatives to support a physically active lifestyle and environment are also provided.
Mary M. Austin, MA, RD, CDE, is Past President of the American Academy of Diabetes Educators, Owner, President of the Austin Group, LLC, and is a member of the Endocrine Today Editorial Board.