Some fraction of these wellness programs may actually be helpful – in some blue collar organizations particularly, the staff may not always have the wherewithal (educational, assertiveness, medical) to manage their own chronic illnesses very well. It’s easy to imagine the diabetic who, because of poor understanding or poor doctoring, has no idea that he needs an annual ophthalmological exam or a periodic podiatric exam. He’s more likely to keep those eyes/feet if they get looked at regularly.

@Sarah Ugh, wellness teams. Don’t even get me started.

Food Nazi’s

Enough said.

There is also the invasion of privacy that assumes that we all need “healthcare nannies” asking to check our cholestrol and other crap. If the federal government did this we would be begging for legistlation to keep them out of our bodily fluids.
Somehow this can be justified in the name of productivity.

I work at an insurance company and was recently asked to be vendor managemer for our work place wellness programs that we’re shoving on employers. Since I actually care about my other job responsibilties a lot more and it’s wonderfully liberating to be given responsibility for a product that you care nothing about. It’s almost zen-like.

Unfortunately, this survey in Health Affairs magazine (you need to subscribe to see the article) shows the trend is moving against you. Most employers and employees think it’s perfectly all right to talk about how many doughnuts everyone is eating.

Here’s an excerpt from the study.
“This paper presents findings about weight management programs at the workplace, and employers