Reber KC, et al. - This study used data from 2002-2012 in the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP), a nationally representative, longitudinal study of private households in Germany, to examine the longitudinal association between obesity and sickness absence in women and men in Germany. Using interaction terms (sex × weight category), gender differences were examined. In women, the longitudinal association between excess weight and increased likelihood of sick leave days, as well as long-term absenteeism, was highlighted. These associations were not seen in men.