Is your Company watching your weight? Do you care?

[samintx]

Do you welcome, care, don't care if the company you work for monitors your weight? Do you feel this is an invasion of privacy? or a good thing?



Is your company watching your weight?
9:12 AM ET, 02/26/2013 - MarketWatch Databased News
Your company already knows whether you've been taking your meds, getting your teeth cleaned and going for regular medical checkups. Now some employers or their insurance companies are tracking what staffers eat, where they shop and how much weight they're putting on--and taking action to keep them in line.

The goal, say employers, is to lower health-care and insurance costs while also helping workers. Last month, 1,600 employees at four U.S. workplaces, including the City of Houston, strapped on armbands that track their exercise habits, calories burned and vital signs, part of a diabetes-prevention program run by insurer Cigna. Some diabetic AT&T employees also use mobile monitors; in September, AT&T also started selling to employers blood-pressure cuffs and other devices to track wearers 24/7.

[$tevie]

Lawsuit time.

[rgG]

Hey, that's my mother-in-law's job!

[Ted King]

Link to article quoted in the OP: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/is-your...2013-02-25

This part creeps me out:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina recently began buying spending data on more than 3 million people in its employer group plans. If someone, say, purchases plus-size clothing, the health plan could flag him for potential obesity—and then call or send mailings offering weight-loss solutions.

Marketing firms have sold this data to retailers and credit-card companies for years, and health plans have recently discovered they can use it to augment claims data. “Everybody is using these databases to sell you stuff,” says Daryl Wansink, director of health economics for the Blue Cross unit. “We happen to be trying to sell you something that can get you healthier.”

[cbelt3]

I can recall a kerfluffle and some laws passed about genetic tests, but.... Currently Ohio employers are allowed to reject applicants who have a BMI above 30. Local hospitals, including the Liberal's Best Friend... the vaunted Cleveland Clinic, are applying this rule. Applicants whose blood tests include any level of nicotine are also rejected.

So it's already happening. My company offers wellness programs, competitions, etc.. Employees do not *have* to participate. I do because it's a good idea. (walking, biking, etc..) We even have an Amish family come during spring, summer, and autumn for a weekly 'farmer's market'.. nice organic fruits and veggies... mmm.

Rather than make unhealthy lifestyles result in a punishment, it's better to encourage a healthy lifestyle, and enable it.

[davester]

I don't have a problem with companies offering monetary incentives to employees who participate in wellness programs, which is why those employees mentioned in the OP are participating. I do have a problem with what Ted pointed out...monitoring your spending to attempt to develop a risk profile to use for marketing.

[Bill in NC]

So we should add "no fat dudes" to "no fat chicks?"

I wonder what will happen to one of my former classmates.

I remember her essay she read in class was about her struggles with weight, noting doctors told her parents early on because of the medical issues she was born with she would struggle with excess weight her entire life.

[SteveG]

If there is a "no fat dudes" rule enacted, tech companies would lose a significant number of their programmers.

[Lemon Drop]

Rather than make unhealthy lifestyles result in a punishment, it's better to encourage a healthy lifestyle, and enable it.

I like this. If companies take a more holistic approach and look at what they may be doing as employers that contributes to poor health (not enough breaks, work day too long, junk food in vending machines and cafeteria, etc) and make positive, helpful changes like gyms at work, nap rooms, healthy snacks, along with incentives and good primary health insurance - that's all good.
(ever work someplace with a person who loves to share their baked goodies, like every week? seems sweet and innocent but can be bad news for your waist! )

The part about spying on our spending habits is creepy, but with everything electronic now and joining every "savings club" that gets put in front of you at the grocery, pharmacy, etc we've made it really easy for the marketers.

[(vikm)]

davester wrote:
I don't have a problem with companies offering monetary incentives to employees who participate in wellness programs, which is why those employees mentioned in the OP are participating. I do have a problem with what Ted pointed out...monitoring your spending to attempt to develop a risk profile to use for marketing.

This is about where I line up on this.

I'll just add that a part of me would be bothered if my health costs were up substantially because some idiot decided to eat three Big Macs or similar for lunch everyday and showed total disregard for their health and well-being.