How losing weight can save your company money

When it comes to being overweight, losing weight is important for a number of reasons. It can help decrease a person's risk for weight-related health risks such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. It can also increase a person's energy level, flexibility, and overall health, making them feel more energetic and healthy.

If you are an employer, having employees who are overweight or obese can actually end up costing your company money. The following are some ways that encouraging employees to lose weight can save your company money:

Lower insurance
Health insurance costs have been on the rise, and studies have shown that obesity now causes about the same amount in health care costs as does smoking. Obesity related healthcare costs compromise nearly 10% of all national health care costs; smoking related costs make up between 6%-10%. Healthcare costs over a lifetime are roughly $10,000 more for those who are overweight or obese than for those who aren't.

This translates to higher insurance premiums and health care costs, causing employers to pay more money to insure employees who are obese or overweight than they would pay to insure those of a normal weight.

Not only do employers save money when employees lose weight, but employees do as well. Because premiums do not depend on weight, those who are of a normal weight end up paying more money for higher premiums to cover the poor health and risks associated with those who are obese.

Better productivity
People who have lower BMIs tend to be healthier overall. This means they take less sick days, resulting in better productivity at work. Severely obese or overweight people who already have heart disease or diabetes take more sick days, and they are at a much higher risk of needing extended hospital stays.

As you can see, losing weight and having employees who are of a healthy weight can actually save your company money in insurance costs as well as less sick days taken, resulting in better productivity.

However, since most insurance companies don't cover any kind of weight reduction surgeries or programs, it can be difficult to encourage employees to lose weight. Some ideas that can help include:

• Implement company-wide exercise programs. Start an exercise program where employees can track their progress. Encourage everyone to get involved and have managers participate as well, to set a good example.
• Offer incentives. You can offer incentives for pounds lost, such as cash or gift cards or extra time off. However, it is better to reward healthy habits that lead to sustained weight loss, like exercise, instead of rewarding for pounds lost. This will result in more lasting weight loss.
• Have a wellness fair. Have a wellness fair that tests body fat, cholesterol, and discusses proper nutrition and exercise form. This is a great way to motivate and educate employees.
• Make it convenient. Consider having a gym put in the office that employees can access, or reimburse them for gym passes. Get rid of the candy bowls throughout the office and stock them with fruit instead. People are more likely to exercise and eat healthy when it is convenient.

Losing weight can help save your company money in a number of ways, since obesity contributes to higher health care costs for everyone and lessened productivity.Encouraging employees to exercise and reach a healthy weight is beneficial for all.