In October 2025, Loop, a health assurance company in India, published the Workforce Health Index (WHI) 2025, billed as the country’s first national benchmark of working professionals’ health. The index is built on two types of data: laboratory biomarkers (214,142 test results) and lifestyle & behavioral surveys from 3,437 urban professionals. 1
The WHI presents a detailed portrait of key health metrics — from metabolic risk and liver function to stress, sleep, and gender disparities. Its findings suggest that India’s purported “healthy workforce advantage” may be under threat. 2
Metabolic and Glucose Risk
The WHI reports that 37.2 % of working professionals demonstrate abnormal glucose metabolism, a red flag for prediabetes or early diabetes. This is notable because such metabolic changes in aging populations are often expected after 40 or 50, not during prime working years.
Stress, Sleep, and Mental Load
Sleep deprivation is common: 27.3 % of participants report fewer than six hours of sleep nightly. At the same time, 33.9 % cite high stress levels. Women report 17% more stress than men on average.
Liver Health & Lipid Profiles
The index also highlights liver dysfunction: 34.8 % of professionals in Delhi NCR show markers suggesting impaired liver function. In Mumbai, over 82 % of individuals have low HDL cholesterol (below 50 mg/dL), a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Gender Health Disparities
The survey underscores a significant health gap between male and female professionals. 36.5 % of women were found clinically anemic, compared to 8.2 % of men — a difference of about 4.5 times.
Additionally, the report notes that women are more likely to operate under chronic high-stress conditions relative to men, further compounding health risks.
The WHI suggests that many health risks among Indian professionals are not isolated lifestyle lapses but reflect structural and workplace drivers. Loop’s leadership contends that work stress, long hours, insufficient preventive care, and benefit design failures exacerbate biological vulnerabilities.
Because the index combines biomarkers and behavioral indicators, it attempts to link clinical risk with real-world conditions rather than relying solely on self-reported wellness metrics. 1
The WHI web portal further breaks down risk by city (Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune) and by occupational role (sales, tech, finance, customer support), allowing for granular insight into how environment and job type may mediate health.
For Employers:
The findings may push organizations to re-evaluate health benefits packages — beyond insurance to include preventive screening, mental health support, nutrition, physical wellness, and stress management.
Tracking these metrics over time could help optimize employee wellness programs and healthcare investment.
For Health Policy Makers:
The WHI reveals a gap between public health strategies and the health realities of working adults in urban settings, underscoring the need for cross-sector interventions (workplace regulation, preventive health incentives).
The gender disparities suggest a need for targeted programs for female workforce health, especially around anemia and stress.
For Workers:
The data should serve as a wake-up call: even individuals appearing healthy may harbor metabolic, liver, or vascular risk that needs clinical screening.
Workers may demand more transparent, evidence-based health support from employers rather than token wellness incentives.
The data suggest that the long-promised “workforce advantage” may be eroding under the weight of metabolic and lifestyle pressures.
References
The Tribune. “India Risks Losing Its Workforce Advantage, India’s First Workforce Health Index by Loop Reveals.” The Tribune, October 4, 2025. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/business/india-risks-losing-its-workforce-advantage-indias-first-workforce-health-index-by-loop-reveals-2/.
Loop. “India Workforce Health Index ’25 | Workforce Health Index.” Loop Health. Accessed October 5, 2025. https://whi.loophealth.com/.
(Rh/Eth/TL/MSM)