“Offering weight-loss drugs as an employee benefit, comparable to programs such as Wellpass or Urban Sports Club, deserves careful scrutiny.” In a recent Handelsblatt article, Dr. Roman Hipp, Senior Partner at Porsche Consulting, shared his perspective on whether companies should offer weight-loss medications as an employee benefit. Because these prescription drugs require medical supervision and, in most cases, long-term treatment, Hipp argues that they are not directly comparable to conventional corporate benefits such as fitness programs.
The debate is driven by the significant economic burden associated with obesity. In Germany, one in five adults is affected by chronic obesity, with the total economic cost estimated at around €113 billion annually. Pharmaceutical companies are therefore increasingly looking to employers as potential customers, seeking to convince them to offer weight-loss drugs as an additional employee benefit. But the business case is far from clear.
For companies, the question therefore goes beyond simply adding another employee benefit. What matters is taking a holistic view of the medical evidence, economic implications, and employers’ long-term responsibility toward their workforce.
Read the full article by Helena Smolak in Handelsblatt (German only).