don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

"... there's a change in the weather
There's a change in the sea,
So from now on there'll be in change in me.
My walk will be different, my talk and my name
Nothin' about me is going to be the same,
I'm goin' to change my long, tall
daddy for a little short fat
I'll even change the number
where I'm living at.
There'll be some changes made today,
There'll be some changes made."
~W. Benton Overstreet / Billy Higgins

There'll be some changes made in worksite wellness now that the Fed, the Congress and the private sector have attempted to fix up our washed out economy with a $700 billion "Hail Mary" bail out. So far, attention has focused on restoring faith in the stock market, confidence in retirement plans and capacity for credit to sustain growth and jobs. Naturally, the two political parties have framed their messages to fault each other while seeking to gain an advantage in the coming election. Overlooked so far in the deluge of attention to the financial sector crisis is the impact all this is likely to have on the future of worksite wellness programs across the nation, from the largest to the smallest organization offering wellness education. The one certainty is that there will be some changes made.

"What changes," you ask?

There is growing evidence that US corporations with health promotion programs are losing patience with employees who don't do their part to help organizations control rising health insurance/medical costs. Now that credit is tight, buyers of goods and services are few and far between and a psychology of "wait and see how things sort out" seems to have slowed everything, high cost/low productivity employees might be seen as an unaffordable luxury. 

It seems that some executives are already threatening to put a stop to traditional subsidies for worseness lifestyles. Some are of the view that sticks are more effective than carrots when dealing with employees who are "lifestyle disadvantaged." I'll give you a few examples.

Hershey Foods instituted mandatory screening in five risk categories. In addition, Hershey penalizes employees who don't measure up to certain norms associated with lifestyle responsibility. A case in point: Hershey Foods flabbies in recent years paid an extra $1,404 for health insurance benefits. So much for gentle persuasion. This policy seems a little unfair, given the nature of the product!

U-Haul and Baker-Hughes do essentially the same thing with penalties for smokers, but the "fine" so far is modest -- just an extra $120 annually, with commensurate "rewards" for positive test results. Foldercraft Company hammers workers with poor scores on body composition tests with a $900 deductible on health insurance plans.

What all this portends might well be that the "nice guy" wellness approaches are losing favor, at least with some tough-love oriented managers. MetLife reports that 86 percent of executives in this country want higher premiums for high-risk employees. Still, a Johnson and Johnson study shows only two percent of companies currently financially chastise health risk-takers. What is significant about the J&J report, however, is the projection that this will increase to fifty percent in a few years time. All this took place years before the financial markets melted down in September of 2008.

What might an enthusiast for REAL wellness make of all this? Is the "get tough" trend something to fear, support or ignore? Should compassionate REAL wellness enthusiasts come to the defense of the poor victim, the smoker and others who test poorly on health, medical or lifestyle profile indices? Assume some or all of the accountability for wretched lifestyles (including dangerous, self-destructive behaviors) is due to unfavorable upbringing, cultures, genes and other influences. Isn't life supposed to be fair? If not, could we not make it a little more so?

Maybe someday, but not in the present crisis climate. If you want to protect your job, which is not the best reason to live well but it's a good start, I suggest becoming a model wellness enthusiast or at least taking steps in that direction. (There really is no such thing as a single wellness model, as the pursuit and realization of a high quality of life takes endlessly varied forms.) Make healthy choices, become and stay fit, develop good relationships with everybody and develop all the skill areas that make you healthy, popular, good looking, energetic and desirable in every way. Otherwise, you may find yourself on the outside, looking in, no longer eligible for worksite wellness because you are not a part of any worksite. 

Personally, I'm a real softie. I think those with bad habits have not been exposed to sufficiently worthwhile wellness inducements, supports, peer mentoring and other positive, attractive influences. I'd rather see them rewarded for doing the right thing than punished for doing that which managers don't favor. But, times have changed and those who have jobs are going to have to work harder and do better to keep them, and the new requirements will no doubt include good health habits and health itself. They'll be some changes made -- do all you can to adapt and prosper.

And consider - if you adopt a wellness lifestyle and do all the things associated with optimal functioning physically, mentally and otherwise and STILL lose your job given the strained and perilous economy, well, at least you'll be a lot healthier than you were before.

So, do your best and always look on the bright side of life.

Note: An earlier version of this essay appeared here on November 8, 2001 entitled "Companies Get Tough on Worseness."

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the PHYSICAL DOMAIN under the skill area of lifestyle habits. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

 Send e-mail to Don Ardell