weight loss and external incentives

I wrote an entry last week about Whole Foods giving a higher dicsount to their employees who are in better physical condition. I am rerading more articles about othe rcompanies providing cash incentives for their employees to become healtheir, most notably reduce weight. I am certain some of the concern on the management's part is the concern for the individual but I would bet most of it is based on wanting to reduce healthcare costs and missed time at work. Clearly, overweight people develop many more medical problems and are more likely tom drive up the medical costs as well as miss time at work due to illness.

Being incentivized to lose weight from outside sources is perhaps not the most noble reason to lose weight. We shoudl all feel the INTERNAL incentives to motivate ourselves. However, when you watch the ultimate EXTERNAL incentive program such as The Biggest Loser, these people are vying for millions of dollars and popularity for future money making gigs.No small wonder they can lose all that weight. If NBC paid all of you extraordinary amounts of moeny, I have no doubt that there woild not be one week that goes by where substantial weight loss did not occur.

Reality: you are not getting paid by anyone to lose weight and most of the places you work for may even in a clandestine manner, penalize you (less chances for promotion, greater chance of termination) for being overweight. Think of internal incentives (only allow yourself to get that new car, new dress, new jewelry item) that will help ypou motoivate to become healthier and happier.