Walking at Work

This article healthcare legislation that was recently passed in Japan offers an interesting perspective on the concept of national healthcare.  Are we individualistically-oriented Americans really ready for this:

"One regulation, effective in April, requires all citizens over the age of 40 to have their waists measured every year. If a man's waist is more than 33.5 inches or a woman's more than 35.5 inches, they are considered at risk and referred for counseling and close monitoring. The government is also requiring companies to slim down their workers or face higher payments into the national insurance program."

How does your waistline measure up?  And are you ready for your bosses to have part of their incentive pay based on your health habits and results? 

From a more encouraging perspective, one interesting workplace wellness option is being piloted here in Minnesota in an innovative study by the Mayo Clinic.  In the study, workplaces were outfitted with treadmill workstations.  Employees set the treadmills for about 1 mile per hour and slowly move along while they answer e-mail, take calls and do other routine desk work.  One company even outfitted the conference room with the treadmill workstations and held walking meetings.  As an avid walker, I LOVE this idea! 

What do you think?

Comments

[almostgotit]

I love the idea and hope more businesses put in treadmills for their employees! My only reservations have to do with tying exercise to incentive pay, or mandating it in any way.

(a) incentive pay for work should not be connected with anything but work. If a company wanted to develop an ADDITIONAL pot of funds to dole out to "top exercisers" (though how, I have no idea) that would be much more appropriate, IMHO.

(b) mandating (or legislating, or even taxing)for healthy habits always opens a huge can of worms. Why stop at exercise and weight? What about smoking, bad driving, or even the ways we each contribute to the world's degenerating atmosphere (increased polutants, toxins, and allergens?)

[Recruitment Nick]

What a wonderful idea!

I do hope that the criteria is a little less strict than that though. i admit to being a little over weight (rugby has just started though so hoping that will change). But with my build 33inch waists are never going to happen. I'm a thick set 6ft4... I would snap if I were that skinny in the waist!

But it is a very interesting idea and a great way on trying to reduce a problem most of the developed world is now facing.

Wonder how much dry cleaning bills have gone up? The unfit would certainly be sweating in their suits a lot more with this one....

[Jackie Cameron]

Peggy I volunteer with a UK based diabetes charity ( my daughter has lived with diabetes since she was 11) and once a year we have an information week where we try to get as much information about living with diabetes as we can out there. Last year we also gave out tape measures with the magic waist measurements on them as a check with the questions "is your weight creeping up on you?"

I have to admit that I sit on the margins of what is healthy but I know what I can do about it. I think anything that an employer can do to inform and encourage is to be admired. Legislating on health issues - well it will be interesting to see what happens.
We recently had an employment tribunal case here where a firefighter was in danger of losing his job because of his weight. It brought into sharp focus the limitations of what an employer can do if "threats" don't work as a motivator!
(The good news is that he and his employer found a solution)

[Meg Bear]

I can see myself crashing on a treadmill while trying to answer emails or comment on blogs. Oy!

[Mark McClure in Japan]

While outsiders may sense a kind of nefarious "group think" to such schemes I can see how many here will make efforts (however reluctant) to be seen to be following the plan...

... and there will no doubt be lots of necessary and compassionate exceptions granted to folks with disabilities, illnesses etc.

One observation I can make on food here is "portion size."

Of course you can eat as much as you want but I've become so used to smaller plates and portions over the years that when visiting the States (and to a lesser extent, the UK too) I'm literally gob smacked by the quantity of food on the plate.

Stealth Solution: Start shrinking the plate diameters a 1/4 inch per year heheh ;-)

BTW - that Krispy Kreme shop photo in the USnews.com article has indeed long queues except in the hot sticky summer.