And frankly, I’ve frequently seen coworkers, intentionally or not, sabotage other people’s efforts. I’ve been at most 15 pounds over what weight I wanted to be at (just outside of a normal range BMI), but have had coworkers tell me there’s no reason for me to eat healthy, that I’m fine, etc. I usually respond by saying that I’m too old to outgrow pants due to getting taller, so it has to be for another reason. The same group had a “biggest loser” competition and one of them was so competitive that she brought in donuts and left them in the break room. Seriously.
These sorts of things frustrate me on the surface because essentially we’re rewarding people for not having cared and then starting to care about their health, so people who always cared aren’t realistically eligible. But it’s really not all that different from when I see promotions for services that I already have, but are only available to new customers. Why are companies rewarding people who aren’t their customers and may leave as soon as they can after the promotion over someone who has been using their services for years?
But look at it this way, would you gain enough weight to be able to win it, deal with all the issues that go along with it, then put in the effort to lose it for the nominal prize they get? I’m in excellent shape and you’d have to pay me a huge sum of money, way more than the prize could reasonably be, to ever consider gaining a significant amount of weight and dealing with the impact on my health, energy, diet, hygiene, clothes, etc. And, in the end, everyone ends up paying for these things anyway, not just through higher premiums, but through other things like how when it affects their health and energy levels, having to cover for them.
Sure, I’d rather see more consistent programs that enables people to stay healthy and provides incentive to do so rather than just lose weight if you’re already fat, but maybe it will be enough of an encouragement to get a couple people healthier. So, while not ideal, it’s better than the alternative of doing nothing.
This. AFAIAC, that’s about as good an incentive as there is.
I’m happy to NOT have the opportunity to win a whole bunch of money by losing massive amounts of weight. It’s worth way more than that to already BE in decent shape.
As a fat guy, I have to agree with this point - I’d rather already be in good shape than get paid to get there.
Yes, yes - I’m working on it.
More sex, lower chances of heart disease and diabetes, and a better shot at promotion. Is that enough to be going on with?
Also, you need less luggage space to pack your clothes.
Sadly, I’ve heard this exact thing happened at my old job (people bulking up before a weight loss competition). Although in that case, there was some serious money on the line (this was at an investment bank).
Trust me, I know it ain’t easy. I could really afford to lose 20-25 pounds, but it’s gonna take a major push on my part to lose that piddling two dozen pounds, and I’m starting off in pretty good shape. I can’t imagine how daunting it must be to face up to the need to lose serious weight.
Losing serious weight is easier in some sense, because you can see measurable results much more quickly. If you’re three bills and you start running a mile every day, you’ll notice it on the scale at the end of the week. If you’re 150 pounds and you do the same thing, not so much. Of course, it’s a lot easier to run a mile at 150.
Random rare lines like this are why I cruise the Dope.
I wish this was true. In my experience insurance premiums goin one direction, up. If your company has a year with lots of claims, well, sorry but we’re going to raise your rates 12%. Go a year with no claims, wow, great for you, but we’re still going to raise you 10%. Actually lower rates from one year to the next, that’s fantasy. Insurance companies don’t care about health, they care about money.
The point is, they have the same fucking incentive, I want a bonus incentive like they are getting.
The wind of my soul…you articulated it beautifully. I was thinking the same exact thing you said, but by the time it got to the pit my fangs were dripping venom already. My stupidity-anger has symptoms similar to rabies…I hope they don’t have to put me down. At least do me clean like they did Ol’ Yeller.
Great post. Did you really think you had good enough psychic powers to know specifically how this was done at his work place? Maybe you can give us some stock tips.
My workplace has a great way of doing this. Every employee has the option for a very subsidized membership at a nearby gym or a $300 rebate for a gym membership at the gym or your choice or any other athletic endeavor. I have used mine for yoga classes and rock climbing equipment. The people who already work out get something and the people who want to start a workout regimen get something. Everyone who chooses to use it gets healthier regardless of how big or small you already are.
If you’ve been thin and healthy your whole life, you have great genes and you were raised by great parents. It’s much easier to continue habits instilled in childhood than it is to radically change them in adulthood–not just mentally, but physiologically. Ex-fatties are rewarded because it’s much (much much much) fucking harder to lose weight than it is to never gain it in the first place. Nobody cares that you stay unfat if you’ve always been unfat. Maintaining the status quo is not a bragworthy accomplishment.
Instead of judging every fat person you pass as weak-willed or whatever you think about them, why not have compassion for the fact that they were raised on unhealthy food? Kids don’t buy their own groceries, you know.
You sound like a judgmental asshole, but I’m sure you already knew that.
Because it’s not visible. All this stuff makes a lot more sense when you realize that it’s not about promoting health, but about shaming the heavyset. If it was really health we as a society cared about, we’d be just as condemning of skinny people who eat crap and never exercise, but we give those folks a pass (at least until their bad habits begin to become visible around their waistline). We’re promoting looking right, not being healthy.
Now THAT’S just the sort of program I wish more companies would adopt!
Another problem with the BL competition is that there is only one winner. If someone is far ahead, it’s easy for the others to give up since they know they won’t be the winner.
True.
Bull fucking shit. I seriously work out two or three times a week and do something like take a fast walk with my dog for a mile or two another two or three times a week. I am not one of those people who loves to exercise but I do it so that I have a better chance of living a long and healthy life. I like soda and deserts and cream sauces but I limit my intake of them for the same reason. I would way rather sit on the couch and watch movies or surf the net after work and eat all of the shitty food that I want but I don’t.
Not bragworthy? Are you fucking serious? I work hard and that is definitely bragworthy. Anyone who spent their life working hard should understand that simple fact.
Testify, hajario, testify.
What a fucking crock of shit huh? “My struggle is harder, you just don’t know it.”
How the hell do you know that it isn’t just as hard to maintain a decent weight unless you have done it?
I’m a smidge UNDERweight. I’d be thoroughly pissed off if my workplace did this.