Overweight people on benefits could be forced into meeting with a doctor to help get them back into work
A new review said employers are less likely to hire people with addiction issues, including drugs, alcohol and obesity
OVERWEIGHT people could be forced into having a meeting with their doctors to talk about getting back into work.
A new report said that "severe obesity is associated with much lower employment rates".
In trials being discussed by the Government, people on benefits could have to discuss their weight with healthcare professionals if officials think it is a barrier to work.
The recommendation by Professor Dame Carol Black said this would ensure "value for money" in the welfare system.
It says claimants should "have a structured discussion, with an appropriate healthcare professional, about the barriers to work facing that individual, and possible means of overcoming them.
The report also warns that obesity could become a "widely accepted reason for absence from work or receipt of benefits" and the government needed to do more research into the problem.
It says that those who are obese tend to miss more work due to sickness and have poor mental health, and that they could have lower productivity levels than that of healthier people.
Being obese is likely to lead to other health conditions, which can then lead to an increased likelihood in being out of work.
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Jobcentre Plus workers will be able to refer claimants to local services when they feel their weight is a barrier to work.
The recommendations could pave the way for benefit sanctions if people do not attend required appointments.
It is estimated that three out of four adults will be overweight or obese by 2035.
