Wellness Programs & Global Warming

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Wellness programs are popular these days. Who wouldn’t be against healthier lifestyles? But according to this study exercise does not help in reducing obesity. Eating less does. The myth follows the same pattern as the global warming myth – both are politically correct but scientifically flawed – Molly Mulebriar

Wellness Programs Make Employees Healthier but Don’t Lower Health-Care Costs, Study Finds

Lifestyle management portions of workplace wellness programs were not found to reduce health-care costs, according to Workplace Wellness Programs, a study by the Rand Corporation for the U.S. Department of Labor. A previous Rand study indicated that participating in lifestyle management is associated with reduced employee health risks (such as smoking and being overweight), but not with lower health-care costs. This report analyzed whether cost savings might be realized in higher-risk employees and in those who are more engaged in the program, but the study found no evidence to support this . If further research produces similar findings, it would indicate that screening large numbers of individuals for health risks, combined with education and one-on-one coaching, does not appear  to be sufficiently effective or cost-effective to have a meaningful impact on the health of workers and the cost of health coverage.

http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/WellnessStudyFinal.pdf