According to Manulife's Employee Health Report, employees are increasingly using anti-obesity meds
Manulife’s first ever Employee Health Report, an employee wellbeing report, has found two major trends in the aggregate data that are impacting Canadians across the country. Manulife highlighted a sharp increase in the use of medication to treat obesity, increasing more than 42 per cent from 2022 to 2023. A rise in medications to treat substance abuse disorders and mental health challenges also increased 17.2 per cent in the same period.
Pavithra Ravi, director of pharmacy strategy and pharmaceutical relations at Manulife, asserts that while the report does show substantial growth year over year, in both areas, it’s not “something that's come out of left field.” She says this data also offers employers the chance to take heed of their employees’ wellbeing.
“There's a lot of different variables that have accounted for how this has happened,” Ravi said. “I think as employers and plan sponsors, it's important that we recognize the data that's available to us and start to utilize that to better serve our employees.”
Ravi highlights the biggest takeaway from the report is being able to provide awareness to plan sponsors and employers. “It's important that the industry and employers pay attention to the fact that the needs of their employees are starting to change,” she says. “I don't think anti-obesity medications were spoken about as much as this before … We're definitely getting it from all different angles, and the plan member is getting exposure to it more than ever before.”
From a clinical perspective and with new medications coming into the market, Ravi points out there's a lot more research being done for anti-obesity medications like Saxenda and Wegovy, which are starting to be looked at as a weight management concept.
“It isn't a silo condition,” Ravi noted. “It can impact other conditions, whether it be cardiovascular conditions or anything from sleep apnea to joint pain. There's starting to be a lot of recognition as well, from a plan members' perspective awareness on whether this is something they need to seek consultation with their healthcare provider.”
Global media coverage on Ozempic could be contributing to the growing interest in anti-obesity medications, though Manulife says it isn't currently approved for treatment by Health Canada and is therefore not part of the report's findings. The four medications approved by Health Canada so far are Saxenda, Contrave, Xenical and Wegovy.
A deeper analysis of Manulife's claims data shows that women represent 78.8 per cent of the total claimants compared to men at 21.2 per cent. Manulife suggests the higher use amongst women could be related to social pressures and body image concerns that are sometimes experienced by women. Employees who can adjust lifestyle factors, such as getting enough sleep and physical activity, can optimize the impacts of anti-obesity medication.
As for employers, there lies a few things they can do to support employees when it comes to weight management in the workplace, Ravi highlighted. For one, they can always go back and refer to their plan design to include coverage for anti-obesity drugs in group benefits plans.
“Their plan design allows support for those individuals to bring awareness, so their plan members know what tools are available to them. Sometimes, we feel that we've provided the right design for our employee base that meets their needs but that changes over time,” Ravi says. “Our employees are never static, they're all dynamic. And it may be time that we look at what our plan design is, and do we need to look at coverage differently? There’s a lot of different tools from an employer perspective they can utilize, with whoever they use to support those designs.”
Additionally, according to Manulife’s Wellness Report 2023, organizations are losing 49 days of productivity on average, per employee per year, due to absenteeism and presenteeism. However, the top three performing organizations with the healthiest workplace cultures are experiencing 13 additional days of productivity compared to their counterparts.
Maarika Arget, a workplace well-being consultant with Manulife, emphasizes the impact of this perception in the report. “When an employee feels that their employer genuinely cares about their well-being, they are more likely to feel valued in the workplace, actively engage in healthy habits, and utilize the benefits plan provided to them.”
“Taking additional proactive measures, like offering workplace wellness programs and providing resources to support employees, such as access to nutrition counselling, fitness programs, and weight management support, are also important,” Manulife’s report said. “Psychological supports can also help with behavioural change for better weight management. Offering coverage for these services can help employees access the services they may benefit from. This may help set your employees up for success in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, reducing the risk of weight-related health issues, and promoting overall well-being.”
