What's Your Price for Good Health? Companies Pay Employees to Diet and Lose Weight

According to an Associated Press article by Mike Stobbe, nowadays about a third of U.S. companies offer monetary incentives, or plan to start such programs, in an effort to get employees to shuck off a few pounds. Some give money, while others offer vacation trips or reimburse employees who attend Weight Watchers.

Healthy Employees Means Higher Producton

It's easy to understand why employers might do this. Healthier employees make for a healthier workplace, which translates into fewer sick days and higher production. And since most of us like money and could use more of it, it's a powerful incentive. The very idea of getting money for losing weight certainly makes me giddy.

Will Employees Stay Healthy Forever?

It reminds me of when I was in high school and my father said he'd give us kids five bucks for each A we got on our report cards. I got five A's and my siblings earned a few, so my father paid out close to $100. I don't think he was prepared to spend that much, because he didn't make the offer again.

And guess what? I slacked off and didn't do as well the next time. So my question is, how will employers keep people motivated? Will the money be enough to get people to lose weight and keep it off? Because as someone who has tried a few diets, I've learned that keeping the weight off is the hardest part.

Paid $377,000 to Lose Weight

Stobbe writes that OhioHealth, a hospital chain, paid employees up to $500 per year for walking. When it started the program in 2009, half of the 9000 strong workforce signed up, and since then the company has paid out $377,000 in rewards.

That seems like a good thing, but will OhioHealth or any other company have an endless supply of money to reward those who lose weight? Or at some point, will money stop being a motivator for those trying to lose? And what happens if the company discontinues the program?

But despite the questions, I'm sure if the opportunity arose in my workplace, I would give it a try. And if everyone participated, co-workers would no longer carry temptation into the office in the form of cakes and doughnuts. Of course, I could just say no to the sugary treats and be done with it, but if I can get paid for abstaining, why shouldn't I?

Does Dieting for Dollars Work?

Some say there are plenty of reasons. Cornell University conducted a study on seven employee incentive programs and learned that weigh loss was minimal, with an average loss of just a little over a pound. Other studies didn't evaluate data beyond the first few months of a program and none could say how much money was enough to keep employees in it for the long haul.

According to the Mayo Clinic, one in three American adults is considered obese. Perhaps such incentive programs, whether we have the opportunity to use them or not, will make us think about just what it will take to become a more fit and healthier nation.

www.mayoclinic.com

www.associatedpress.com

www.pressdemocrat.com

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