The boss wants to see you and weigh you

On CNN this morn, an article about how a company in Lincoln, Nebraska has three full-timers devoted to "wellness." The 565 employees have mandatory quarterly check-ups to measure body fat, weight and flexibility. The program has been around for 16 years and those who achieve optimum results get a company-paid trip---to climb a mountain.

(These Buddhist monks, above, pay 10 to 15 cents to weigh themselves on a bathroom scale in Phom Penh.)

Studies show that people who weigh themselves daily gain less weight. I might weigh myself at work if there was a more private scale--maybe with a discreet LCD read out instead of that sliding reader--that wasn't crammed next to a vending machine that burps out Pop Tarts and Snickers. (Into my eager hands, of course.)

But I wouldn't want the Los Angeles Times to make weigh-ins obligatory. It's fascist and fatist. Not to mention the fact that with all the recent and brutal cut backs here, I think we've done enough corporate downsizing.

photo: Doug Niven/AFP/Getty

Comments

[Teresa]

I work for a company that does many of these wellness exams, the company does not get the personal information on individuals; only the froup as a whole. This permits people to be honest about thier lifestyle and the freedom to be involved in the whole process. It gives them the starting point for changes to be made as well as progress from previous years. The advantage to employer and employees is greater discounts on premiums to those who have healthier lifestyles. It is a win-win situation for those who participate and heed the advise of the screenings.