Workforce Obesity: What Can You Do?

What can you do to help workers maintain a healthy weight and keep your bottom line healthy at the same time? Read about a company that’s helping its workers lose tons of weight.

According to Senior Vice President Dr. Paul Handel, that amount tops the company’s 20-ton weight-loss goal. A robust wellness program including fitness centers, classes, and healthy cafeteria food are part of the solution.

“Many employers have viewed wellness programs as a nice extra when times are flush,” says Handel. “We believe that the obesity epidemic and the rising toll of diabetes now make them a strategic imperative.”

Financial incentives are an important part of the HCSC strategy. In addition to tying wellness to annual bonuses, the company offers employees additional incentives of up to $200 a year for taking an annual wellness exam and logging their physical activity.

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Other Strategies

The key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, says the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), isn’t about short-term dietary changes. It’s about a lifestyle that includes:

·         Healthy eating;

·         Regular physical activity; and

·         Balancing the number of calories consumed with the number of calories the body uses.

According to CDC the first step in maintaining a healthy weight is to look at the current situation. Body Mass Index (BMI) is one way to measure weight. BMI calculations are based on height and weight:

·         A BMI of 18.5 signifies being underweight.

·         The range between 18.5 and 24.4 is considered to be a normal weight.

·         The range between 24.5 and 29.9 is considered to be overweight.

·         A BMI between 30 and 40 is considered to be obese.

·         BMI of 40 and greater is considered to be morbid or extreme obesity.

Your employees can calculate their BMI by going to