CVS to weigh workers
 

Employee wellness programs are a great idea. This should encourage employees to slim down instead of over-indulging on Twinkies and cream soda.

A few yrs before I retired from the scool system, the health insurance had a $50.00 monthly surcharge in the premium for smokers and another 50.00 if your spouse could be covered elsewhere but chose the board of ed health ins.
Insurance will get harder and harder as time goes on, privacy seems to be a thing of the past, and what are we to do?
I do agree with the smoking surcharge but the weight seems a bit too much.
Weight can be thyroid issues, heredity, side effects of medication, etc
And so very few are at an ideal weight...plus the workforce average age increases w people living longer. On the other hand, encouraging people to be healthy is good but in this economy, $600/ yr is a lot of dough.

Good for CVS, more employers should do the same, obesity cost the health care system millions in return our insurance rates are higher.

buggyone my husband would agree with you
 

I would have preferred giving healthy employees incentive. Probably should be an option to participate, this is America, Right?, those that are living a healthy lifestyle with good results, should be given a decreased healthcare rate.

The difference between smoking and obesity is that one is a lifestyle choice (smoking) and the other (obesity) has a strong genetic component. While it's fair for an employer to encourage that the chronically obese seek treatment for the side effects of their condition (diabetes - high blood pressure) and try to make lifestyle choices that help mitigate their genetic tenancy - the only established "cure" that works close to 100% over a 5 to 10 year period is bariatric surgery (typically - a gastric bypass). Blaming obese folks for being obese is like blaming black folks for being black...genes are genes. The Nazi's tried to eliminate those with an "undesirable" genetic heritage...I would like to think we have progressed from that point of view.

That's NOT progress!!! That's a result of the new Affordable Healthcare Law!!

:agree:

I agree as well...a fine argument for moving to a single-payer system like the French have...but, oops, we have moved into politics and the last 3 comments (including this one) will (rightfully) be found off topic.

we should be able to discuss the new "affordable health care act" that is current events , correct?? We are not mentioning any politicians, names, parties, etc.. just FACTS of what is going on.

:agree: Plus weight by it's self doesn't tell you much. Body fat % along with several other measures are better indications. You can be 6ft tall and weight 200 lbs with 6% body fat or you could be 6ft tall and weight 200 lbs 30% body fat same height, same weight over all health based just on weight / BMI totally different

A strong genetic component should not give license to eat everything you desire (or stuff your face as a previous poster had suggested) not any more than a family history of alcoholism should allow you to drink anything you want "because it is inevitable". I'd be a rich woman if I had $10 for every patient that told me "I'm a diabetic cuz my family was or I have high blood pressure because my family all have it". It is because they are too fat or overweight. I have ALL those problems in my genetics and I try to keep myself in decent shape and weight. NO EXCUSES.
As far a CVS, what do you think the company looses in lost revenues from these weight related health problems? Think about it - if you owned a business and had the choice of hiring someone overweight (who has all sort of potential health problems) or one of average weight who is less likely to need time off or incur lots of medical expenses - which would you hire? Time is money when you own a business. How do you deal with absences due to poor health. Who takes their place? Does production stop? Businesses are so lean these days that there are not extra bodies to take over someone else's job. BESIDES THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WON'T BE A HEALTHY WEIGHT UNLESS THEY HAVE TO. And thats a fact. Whether its me who keeps trim because of a "genetic predisposition" or the person who needs a job and can't keep one because they are too overweight.....it comes to the same conclusion........don't be fat or overweight.

Suzi - if only it were that easy everyone would be thin - which doesn't necessarily equate to healthy. Focus should be on a healthy lifestyle - plenty of people can carry extra weight and still be healthy. Too big an issue to generalize -" just don't be fat."

The fines that will be imposed on employers under the Affordable Care Act do not take effect until 2014, when the ACA takes effect.

When I was employed by a large corporation for 25 plus years, we were required to maintain a certain weight or lose our job. We were weighed periodically and got time off without pay to lose weight or be terminated.

These rules resulted in many court cases, but the courts always ruled in the company's favor. This goes back to the 1960-1990's. More companies should impose these rules today.

Oh, Please, Not The Smokers Again!
 

Forbes article today: Obesity Now Costs Americans More In HealthCare Spending Than Smoking

A few points from the article:

Quote {Reuters is reporting that obesity in America is now adding an astounding $190 billion to the annual national healthcare price tag, exceeding smoking as public health enemy number one when it comes to cost.

How serious is the problem? Obesity has risen a full 34% since 1960 while morbid obesity is up sixfold.

Making the cost impact all the more troubling is the fact that, unlike smokers, obese people tend to live almost as long as those who keep their weight under control. ”Smokers die early enough that they save Social Security, private pensions, and Medicare” trillions of dollars”, said Duke’s Eric Finkelstein. “But mortality isn’t that much higher among the obese.”Unquote

Hmmm.. seems like all of us alive today are from the same gene pool that existed in the 1960's. JMHO.

Obesity Now Costs Americans More In HealthCare Spending Than Smoking - Forbes