OT/Rant: Holiday Weigh-ins at work -

[Mikej]

Ok, so am I being calloused about this? I work in a typical Manufacturing facility on the non-union / admin / engineering side. It seems that there is a constant weight contest going on with non -stop email - and I'm sick of it - and they have a cafeteria with total crap food -

[MattTuck]

I think companies view health costs as something they can wring out by cajoling their employees to lose weight.

Frankly, I'm not sure if that is backed up by science. I think it might actually be better to get them all exercising more. But I guess weight is easier to measure.

Anyway, if they're making people weigh in at work, that seems like a bit of fat shaming.

[duke]

Fat Lives Matter!

[Nooch]

Eh, we do biggest loser contests at my office -- $20 buy in, winner (by percentage) takes the pot after 8 or 12 weeks, depending on what part of the year we're in. It's not something that the company makes us do, we just do it for some extra accountability/incentive.

[Mikej]

I think companies view health costs as something they can wring out by cajoling their employees to lose weight.

Frankly, I'm not sure if that is backed up by science. I think it might actually be better to get them all exercising more. But I guess weight is easier to measure.

Anyway, if they're making people weigh in at work, that seems like a bit of fat shaming.

you have to pay $20 for the Holiday Health Challenge - So people have their weight up and down due to these "contests" throughout the year- there is cash prize for loosing the most. I asked for caloric values of the cafeteria and everybody's head blew off -its mostly breakfast sandwiches burgers and such. And people think its ok because several years ago we changed café vendors for a healthy alternative -so they blindly eat. Oh, and they always put the weight back on.

[AngryScientist]

eh, good for them i say. if you're going to get excited about something, dropping some fat is not a bad thing to pick.

i dont understand why the OP is involved in the email trains if he's not involved in the fat slashers club though. OP: ask to opt out of the reply-all's.

[OtayBW]

The president of my ex-company went on this Paleo diet kick a while back and lost some weight. I think that's great. However, now he is 'the big expert in all things health and fitness' and every ~1/3 company e-mail worldwide is about paleo, paleo, paleo, extending out to anything else in which he can assert his vast knowledge....

Good grief.....

[kramnnim]

you have to pay $20 for the Holiday Health Challenge - So people have their weight up and down due to these "contests" throughout the year- there is cash prize for loosing the most. I asked for caloric values of the cafeteria and everybody's head blew off -its mostly breakfast sandwiches burgers and such. And people think its ok because several years ago we changed café vendors for a healthy alternative -so they blindly eat. Oh, and they always put the weight back on.

So people gain weight before weigh in so they have more to lose? Sounds healthy! :banana:

[grawk]

I think the answer to this problem is a mail filter. I work at a gov't site, and filter out SO much email.

[rugbysecondrow]

eh, good for them i say. if you're going to get excited about something, dropping some fat is not a bad thing to pick.

i dont understand why the OP is involved in the email trains if he's not involved in the fat slashers club though. OP: ask to opt out of the reply-all's.

On the list of things to be bothered by, a group of people banding together to lose weight should be very, very low on the list.

Live and let live. Unwanted emails are pretty easy to manage: Delete.

[JAGI410]

We used to do things like that, but recently "killed" our health program because we were only getting 15% participation. Sucks really.

[shovelhd]

We have a HDHP here at work that has a healthy lifestyle incentive. They deposit cash into your HCRA account after verifying incentives. BP under 120/70? $250. Exercise plan? $250. Stuff like that. If you have a family plan your spouse is eligible as well. Easy money.

[bikemoore]

Try being required to pass fitness tests twice per year as a condition of your employment and if you fail, then you are on a quick track to be terminated. The up side is that the company gives you time to exercise during work hours coupled with diet & exercise counseling if you are marginal or failing. Welcome to the US military…..and happy Veterans Day.

[bikemoore]

I get angry when companies cajole employees to improve their fitness and health in the hope that it will save the company $$ on health insurance, but then they don't invest in a program with subsidies for fitness club membership, purchases of fitness equipment, accommodations at work for employees to exercise or clean up after exercising. Too often, companies want to reap benefits without investment. They are not going to get what they aren't willing to pay for.

[smontanaro]

They do some biannual health screening where I work, blood pressure, blood test, and so on. I am healthy, so have little to gain by the exercise. I imagine the company reduces their insurance cost if overall health looks like it's improving. Still, it's voluntary, so I'm not sure how that would work.

We have an expensive health club in the building, with no subsidies from my employer, so I just take advantage of their cheap shower-only membership so I can clean off the sweat after my ride to work.

[oldpotatoe]

Try being required to pass fitness tests twice per year as a condition of your employment and if you fail, then you are on a quick track to be terminated. The up side is that the company gives you time to exercise during work hours coupled with diet & exercise counseling if you are marginal or failing. Welcome to the US military?.and happy Veterans Day.

At sea for like 7 months, no real 'days off'. Work is sometimes 18-24+ hours per day. water hours, chowhall and geedunk closed, laundry lost your laundry, again, in the summer, it's HOT, in the winter, it's COLD......

But we still had to stop and do the fitness test..still an 'adventure'..

Do any civilian companies REALLY require weigh-ins, with punishment(in any form), if an employee doesn't 'fit' a chart? Doubt it, probably against some law or reg or something.

[Mikej]

No, these are company sponsored voluntary - its just that we have them multiple times per year and I don't feel its the correct way to help people lose weight. We have lunchtime seminars of proper eating and exercise and other health related information, but everybody gets a cafeteria coupon and eats at the burger bar afterwards - that's how they get people to show up so your job of coordinator isn't scratched. I would rather see actual classes that you can exercise at, and actual recipes that you can cook at home, not just "run a marathon and drink organic smoothies, trust me" - Potato, As far as being on a Pump, West Pac? - and needing PT, you should have come down buy us Marines, WE HAD IT GOING ON! Wog Day...

[Mr. Pink]

The president of my ex-company went on this Paleo diet kick a while back and lost some weight. I think that's great. However, now he is 'the big expert in all things health and fitness' and every ~1/3 company e-mail worldwide is about paleo, paleo, paleo, extending out to anything else in which he can assert his vast knowledge....

Good grief.....

Yes, there is nothing more irritating than being subjected to a recent convert to eating better and some exercise in their lives. I just smile and grit my teeth, knowing that I'll be on the bike a few months from now, as usual (or skiing and in the gym a lot in the deep winter), and they'll be back to the couch and donuts. Crossfit and spin class people are the worst. They go from nothing to rabid advocates of sweat, more sweat, and gluten free. Calm down. It takes time and patience.

[Tony T]

Ok, so am I being calloused about this? I work in a typical Manufacturing facility on the non-union / admin / engineering side. It seems that there is a constant weight contest going on with non -stop email - and I'm sick of it - and they have a cafeteria with total crap food -

Are you forced to join the contest?
Doe not joining the contest affect your status at work?
Are you forced to read the "non-stop" email (can you just delete it?)

[oldpotatoe]

No, these are company sponsored voluntary - its just that we have them multiple times per year and I don't feel its the correct way to help people lose weight. We have lunchtime seminars of proper eating and exercise and other health related information, but everybody gets a cafeteria coupon and eats at the burger bar afterwards - that's how they get people to show up so your job of coordinator isn't scratched. I would rather see actual classes that you can exercise at, and actual recipes that you can cook at home, not just "run a marathon and drink organic smoothies, trust me" - Potato, As far as being on a Pump, West Pac? - and needing PT, you should have come down buy us Marines, WE HAD IT GOING ON! Wog Day...

Onboard Midway-Maru..1980-1983..world's longest WestPac cruise, stationed in Land of the Rising sun, participating in the Overseas Separation program.

Was WOG once, then Shellback twice. Enjoyed the liberty, when we got it!!

Thanks for your service, happy Veteran's Day...

[rugbysecondrow]

Yes, there is nothing more irritating than being subjected to a recent convert to eating better and some exercise in their lives. I just smile and grit my teeth, knowing that I'll be on the bike a few months from now, as usual (or skiing and in the gym a lot in the deep winter), and they'll be back to the couch and donuts. Crossfit and spin class people are the worst. They go from nothing to rabid advocates of sweat, more sweat, and gluten free. Calm down. It takes time and patience.


Crossfit is great fitness. Nothing wrong with people getting off the couch and being motivated to workout. Not sure about the gluten free reference.

Crossfit strikes a multi-functional chord most cyclists don't understand.

[RyanH]

Would it be frowned upon if an already skinny cyclist won the biggest loser contest? :rolleyes:

[Mr. Pink]

Crossfit is great fitness. Nothing wrong with people getting off the couch and being motivated to workout. Not sure about the gluten free reference.

Crossfit strikes a multi-functional chord most cyclists don't understand.

Yeah, sure, looks like a great workout, but, c'mon. America is so friggin out of shape, that walking (walking!) is considered an exercise for many. To me, Crossfit is at the other extreme, and I think that it's just too far too fast for 99% of the couch taters out there who, really, just need the simple three days a week at a half hour of some heart rate elevation, to start. Not dragging large tires across a parking lot, which I actually saw this summer at a local school. Pace yourself, people. You're in for the long haul. Don't burn yourself out, or, more important, get hurt, and wind up at a high level at some video game next year, instead of twenty pounds lighter, and, happier. Kill your tv and pizza appetite, too.

[gdw]

"At sea for like 7 months, no real 'days off'. Work is sometimes 18-24+ hours per day. water hours, chowhall and geedunk closed, laundry lost your laundry, again, in the summer, it's HOT, in the winter, it's COLD......

But we still had to stop and do the fitness test..still an 'adventure'.."

No hot chow, limited water hours, lost laundry, uncomfortable living quarters, and they still made you take a PT test? You Navy guys had it rough.:rolleyes: Thanks for your sacrifice and service. :beer:

[OtayBW]

Kill your [snip...] pizza appetite, too.
Now hold on there - just a minute!!! :no:

[avalonracing]

Crossfit and spin class people are the worst. They go from nothing to rabid advocates of sweat, more sweat, and gluten free.

First Rule of Crossfit: Tell everyone you do Crossfit.

[shovelhd]

First Rule of Crossfit: Tell everyone you do Crossfit.

You could be on TV.

[rugbysecondrow]

Yeah, sure, looks like a great workout, but, c'mon. America is so friggin out of shape, that walking (walking!) is considered an exercise for many. To me, Crossfit is at the other extreme, and I think that it's just too far too fast for 99% of the couch taters out there who, really, just need the simple three days a week at a half hour of some heart rate elevation, to start. Not dragging large tires across a parking lot, which I actually saw this summer at a local school. Pace yourself, people. You're in for the long haul. Don't burn yourself out, or, more important, get hurt, and wind up at a high level at some video game next year, instead of twenty pounds lighter, and, happier. Kill your tv and pizza appetite, too.

Most don't come to crossfit from the couch but those who do have often tried and lost interest in other activities, cycling included. Most people find pedaling for 1-5 hours boring, but a nice cross-training workout can meet your needs in less than an hour. I would also argue that there is nothing extreme about crossfit. Run, lift weights, body weight exercises...it is extremely scalable for all fitness levels.

I don't care what people do to get fit, whatever keeps them motivated. People want more out of their workouts though, hence the increase in triathlons and crossfit, which are multi functional activities. I think more and more people are finding enjoyment out of this than slogging miles running or riding.

[Seramount]

there's a group at work that formed a Biggest Loser club...

they gather at break time to walk around campus, but take the elevator instead of the stairs.

and then they go have fast food at lunch.

winning!

personally, I'd like to gain 10 lbs, but that's unlikely...

[benb]

Companies need to put their $$ where their mouth is.. we've had free gym memberships on site at about 50% of the places I work, including my current and previous employers.

I also want to say I've had access to showers every single place I've worked. Any place that didn't have an onsite free gym had an onsite pay gym.

I'm a software engineer so exercise is even more important since the work is so sedentary.

[Mr. Pink]

Companies need to put their $$ where their mouth is.. we've had free gym memberships on site at about 50% of the places I work, including my current and previous employers.

I also want to say I've had access to showers every single place I've worked. Any place that didn't have an onsite free gym had an onsite pay gym.

I'm a software engineer so exercise is even more important since the work is so sedentary.

For most companies, it's sort of an insurance scam. The last company I worked for cleared out a storage room downstairs, bought a strange assortment of used gym equipment, and called it a free gym for employees. They got a very nice discount on their insurance costs for the effort, but, the room was so lame, I continued paying for my outside gym membership.

I sat on my butt for the last eight years of my working life, and 3000 miles on the bike and regular workouts in the gym could not compensate for the inactivity. One reason I "retired", was for my health. I'm now fifteen pounds lighter, and blood pressure is down.

[Mikej]

there's a group at work that formed a Biggest Loser club...

they gather at break time to walk around campus, but take the elevator instead of the stairs.

and then they go have fast food at lunch.

winning!

personally, I'd like to gain 10 lbs, but that's unlikely...

EXACTLY x1000-

[rePhil]

My wife's employer offers incentive days. 1-3 paid days off can be earned twice a year. Choose run, walk or swim. The allotted time is age based.

[benb]

For most companies, it's sort of an insurance scam. The last company I worked for cleared out a storage room downstairs, bought a strange assortment of used gym equipment, and called it a free gym for employees. They got a very nice discount on their insurance costs for the effort, but, the room was so lame, I continued paying for my outside gym membership.

I sat on my butt for the last eight years of my working life, and 3000 miles on the bike and regular workouts in the gym could not compensate for the inactivity. One reason I "retired", was for my health. I'm now fifteen pounds lighter, and blood pressure is down.

I've see what you're talking about but that was only done at places I worked that had standalone offices and less than 100 people. One place I worked we just had a couple of exercise bikes & a stairclimber. But most have had full service gyms. We even have Yoga classes in the office park I work in now, and the company picks up the tab. I really need to take advantage of that.