Study shows reduced BMI could mean economic savings and increased workforce productivity

ASU’s L. William Seidman Research Institute found that reducing body mass index could achieve $461 million in financial benefit over 20 years for a sample group of Isagenix customers.

Body mass index (BMI) reductions among a sample group of 12,561 Isagenix International customers could save the U.S. economy $461 million over 20 years due to avoided medical treatment costs and retained workforce productivity gains linked to 20 diseases¹, according to a recent study. The L. William Seidman Research Institute, which serves as a connection between business communities and the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, conducted the study for Isagenix, a global health and wellness company providing nutrition and lifestyle solutions.

Using two distinct approaches to identify the economic impact of reduced BMI, an estimate of body fat based on height and weight, “The Economic Impact of Weight Loss” study estimates the potential cost savings associated with sustained weight loss for four distinct groups:

• A sample of 12,561 Isagenix customers who self-reported their weight loss to the company.
• A peer-reviewed, published clinical trial of 40 men and women who used Isagenix products to support weight loss.
• An assumed Isagenix U.S. customer base of 500,000 who are presumably overweight or obese.²
• Members of the U.S. population who are overweight or obese.²

“Our study shows that reducing BMI could meaningfully decrease the negative economic impacts associated with diseases linked to being overweight or obese,” says Dennis Hoffman, PhD, director of the L. William Seidman Research Institute. “If more people achieved the same reduced BMI as the participants of the study who used Isagenix to reduce their BMI, the economy — including employers — could reap significant benefits.”

Isagenix customers achieve BMI reductions in part by using the company’s weight wellness solutions, including the IsaLean™ Shake, a meal replacement shake that supports efforts to burn and lose unwanted fat, and Cleanse for Life®, which helps nourish the body’s natural detoxification systems.

Seidman’s key study findings³ include:

• Approximately 20 percent of the costs to the U.S. economy resulting from 20 weight-related diseases identified by Milken Institute’s 2016 study, “Weighing Down America: The Health and Economic Impact of Obesity,” could be avoided if BMI reductions similar to those reported by the sample of 12,561 Isagenix customers took place across the nation’s overweight and obese populations. Milken estimated the total cost to treat health conditions related to obesity and obesity’s impact on attendance and work productivity exceeds $1.4 trillion annually.
• The total estimated savings to the U.S. economy attributed to the sample group of 12,561 Isagenix customers could be $461 million ($36,700 per person) over 20 years due to a potentially reduced incidence of 20 diseases, five of which are chronic conditions including asthma, back pain, diabetes, hypertension, and osteoarthritis. The study estimates more than $18 billion in savings is possible over 20 years if the same results were achieved by an assumed Isagenix U.S. customer population of 500,000, and trillions of dollars in savings could be achieved over 20 years for the U.S. population.
• Due to BMI reductions reported by the sample of 12,561 Isagenix customers, those customers are projected to avoid losing a combined 57,320 days annually to poor health. This equates to saving approximately 4.5 days per year per customer. For those in the workforce, saved days represent wages retained or sick time not claimed, which provides value for the employee, as well as for the employer and the overall economy, through retained productive output.
• If all U.S. Isagenix customers were to achieve the successes reported by the sample of 12,561 Isagenix customers, the study projects approximately $918 million in total retained earnings and treatment savings annually.

Isagenix Chief Executive Officer Travis Ogden says he values how “The Economic Impact of Weight Loss” study highlights the benefits of Isagenix empowering customers to live their best lives.

“By providing science-backed solutions that inspire people to transform their health and their lives, Isagenix not only helps address the serious health issues associated with being overweight but also positively impacts the economy,” Ogden says. “We look forward to magnifying these efforts as we continue expanding around the world, bringing our high-quality products to new markets and customers.”

To read “The Economic Impact of Weight Loss” study, visit the Resources section of the Isagenix Newsroom.

To learn more about Isagenix, visit our newsroom at Isagenix.com, like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Isagenix, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @Isagenix.

¹Asthma, Alzheimer’s, breast cancer, chronic back pain, colorectal cancer, congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, diabetes, end-stage renal disease, endometrial cancer, esophageal adenocarcinoma, gallbladder cancer, gallbladder disease, gastric cardia adenocarcinoma, hypertension, osteoarthritis, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, renal cancer, and stroke.

²The Isagenix U.S. customer base and members of the U.S. population who are overweight or obese are simulated to have the same overweight and obese proportions and ages as the sample of 12,561 Isagenix customers.

³The study assumes an average age of 45, and when calculating the 20-year savings and benefits, assumes individuals work to the age of 65 while maintaining the weight loss/BMI reduction.

About the W. P. Carey School of Business

The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University is one of the top-ranked business schools in the United States. The school is internationally regarded for its research productivity and its distinguished faculty members, including a Nobel Prize winner. Students come from more than 100 countries and include over 50 National Merit Scholars. For more information, please visit wpcarey.asu.edu.

About Isagenix International

Established in 2002, Isagenix provides systems for weight wellness, energy, performance, healthy aging, and wealth creation. With nearly 600,000 customers worldwide and more than 100 life-changing products, packs, and systems globally, the company is committed to producing Solutions to Transform Lives™. Since its inception in 2002, Isagenix has generated $6 billion in cumulative global sales through a network of independent distributors in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Mexico, Singapore, Malaysia, Colombia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain. Isagenix is a privately owned company with headquarters in Gilbert, Arizona. For more information, visit Isagenix.com.

For more information / Media contact:
Rebecca Ferriter, W. P. Carey School of Business
Rebecca.Ferriter@asu.edu 310-871-9041