I’m all for encouraging people to get in shape, but – in my humble opinion – this is the wrong way to go about it.

MONTGOMERY – Obese state employees and those who have high readings for blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose will have to pay more for health insurance starting in January 2011, unless they take steps to address those risks, under a plan adopted by a state board Wednesday.

Starting in January 2010, state employees will have to pay an extra $25 a month for health insurance unless they submit baseline readings for their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose.

Starting in 2011, they will have to pay the extra $25 a month unless a work site wellness screening shows their readings fall below certain thresholds or they consult with a doctor, participate in a wellness program or reduce their risk levels, perhaps by losing weight or lowering their blood pressure.

According to the Associated Press, Alabama will be the first state in the US to charge employees for behaviors that are deemed unhealthy.  The “obesity charge” would be applied to workers with BMIs over 35 (over 30 is considered obese) who don’t comply with the above conditions.

Now, I know people who would applaud this.  In my experience, however, imposing sanctions doesn’t work nearly as well as using positive incentives.  This is borne out by real world examples, such as  IBM’s “Healthy Living” incentive program, which offers employees support and financial rebates for improving their health and fitness.

For example, more than 100,000 employees enrolled in the physical activity rebate program for 2005. Between January and October, almost 60,000 of them had taken part in the program, recorded their results online, and been awarded their rebates. These results represent 10,000 more employees than during the same period last year.

IBM is tracking impressive results on their smoke-free rebate. Of the IBMers in the U.S. enrolled in a smoking cessation program, nearly one quarter quit smoking in the first year with 80 percent of those remaining smoke-free by year two. These results are much higher than other programs of its type.

IBM’s efforts have been so successful, that the company has expanded its programs to cover employees’ children.

The Children’s Health Rebate, which is being offered as part of IBM’s annual benefits enrollment, is to reward good nutrition and physical activity for the entire family, which is key to helping children develop healthy habits for a lifetime. IBM pioneered the concept of healthy living rebates for its employees in 2004, and the new Children’s Health Rebate is one of four $150 cash rebates available to IBM employees in the U.S.

According to Dr. Martín J. Sepúlveda, IBM’s Vice President of Global Well-being Services & Health Benefits, the programs “…have provided significant exposure to wellness initiatives and stimulated positive employee response.”

To earn a US$150 cash rebate, employees must elect to participate during annual fall benefits enrollment, join our web based virtual fitness center program, and log their minutes of activity online. In 2004 and 2005, participants engaged in at least 20 minutes of physical activity three days per week, for 10 out of 12 consecutive weeks, to qualify for the rebate.

The highly accessible and flexible virtual fitness center tool, combined with the financial incentive and maximum visibility through benefits enrollment, has generated significant reach among the employee population. Monthly usage of the online virtual fitness center rose by 500 percent after a financial incentive was offered, with more than 100,000 individual employees using it during the past two years.

For example, during benefits enrollment in 2004, 71 percent, or 97,000 workers in the eligible US population elected to participate. Of those who enrolled, more than 53,000 employees earned the 2004 rebate by engaging in the required amount of physical activity and logging their activity minutes online. During the 2005 benefits enrollment, 81 percent, or 108,000 employees said they would participate and the number who earned the rebate rose by 21 percent to 64,000 individuals that year.

The German chemical company BASF experienced similar success from its “Trim Down the Pounds” employee health promotion at its Ludwigshafen facility.

Incentive programs work, are cost-effective, and are a damn sight more motivating than penalties.  Overweight people get bashed around enough without their employers (or the government) piling on. 

Share