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Are Companies Getting More Aggressive With Corporate Wellness Programs?

The answer according to Duke University researchers is YES. Companies are moving beyond simply offering healthy snacks in vending machines and providing discounted gym memberships to offer, or strongly suggest, employees participate in the following and more:

Offering employees wearable fitness trackers.
Offering healthiness competitions on social apps.
Covering weight-loss surgeries and drugs.
Providing mental-health counseling to correct emotions that may underlie bad eating habits.

For example, retailer L.L. Bean recently determined that 85 percent of their employees were overweight or obese. Thus the company now offers exercise classes, nutrition coaching, emotional counseling, and more – all provided during paid work hours.

Recent research suggests that about a third of employers now offer programs specifically designed to help employees lose weight, with another seven percent on the verge of offering such programs. About 38 percent of companies now cover weight-loss bariatric surgery for employees, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Many companies now promote weight reduction programs under the banner of wellness programs. Some companies are promoting and even paying for newly approved weight-loss drugs, such as Belviq, Qsymia, and Contrave.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is set to release guidance to employers regarding do’s and don’ts related to corporate wellness programs.

Source: Based on Lauren Weber and Rachel Silverman, “Memo to Staff: Time to Lose a Few Pounds,” Wall Street Journal, December 17, 2014, p. B1.

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