If you gave any doctor a copy of my blood test results, how much and what I ate most days, and how much exercise I did, without actually seeing me, they would correctly assume that I am metabolically healthy. If my weight, BMI or waist circumference were added, all bets would be off. I might be told I will get diabetes, heart disease and cancer any minute.
Lately there has been in influx of articles about companies penalizing employees for "Perceived health issues." Two weeks ago it was CVS, now it is Michelin tires. Other companies according to the Wall Street Journal are joining the bandwagon.
This is a terrifying and disturbing trend for many reasons:
1. It removes genetics completely and pressures people to do dangerous dieting and take medications or get procedures they may not need. Many diseases can respond to lifesyle changes but not all do.
2. It assumes you're are unhealthy based on often arbitrary numbers.
3. It gives your employer way too much access to your private life outside of work.
4. It's a slippery slope. Many people have diseases that no matter what they do that don't go away. Before you know it it won't just been the smoker or those with a fat belly but those with autoimmune diseases or cancer (or has the genes to get it.)
5. It gives the impression that fat people are deliberately trying to be unhealthy. I spent 17 years trying to be thin (as I thought that meant healthy). I only started making real strides in improving my health when I stopped dieting.
6. Companies who do this do not care at all for their workers. Their workers are chattle and all they care about is how much money they make. For example Alternet posted an article that CVS has the highest prices for generic prescriptions. Costco has the lowest. Why the difference? Maybe because Costco pays a fair wage, decent benefits and still makes a nice profit.
In the meantime there is another petition this time against Michelin I urge you to sign it.
I will be signing.
Posted by: Ashley | April 15, 2013 at 08:05 PM