A new report by The Conference Board, a business research group, says that obese employees cost U.S. private employers an estimated $45 billion annually in medical expenditures and work loss. Obesity is associated with a 36 percent increase in employer spending on healthcare services, more than smoking or problem drinking. And considering that two-thirds of American adults are either overweight or obese, a lot of your workforce is not ready to put down their lattes to work on their lats.
Are companies strong enough to run the moral marathon of dealing with the obesity epidemic in the workplace? Should businesses and organizations penalize or incentivize to cut back on the super-size lifestyle Americans love? Employees were outraged when Clarian, the Indianapolis health system, proposed charging its workers extra for insurance if they let health risks such as smoking, obesity or high cholesterol go unchecked. That was a pretty aggressive move for an organization Clarian’s size, let alone one in the overweight, tobacco-addicted, sedentary Midwest. For now anyway, the plan seems to be a no-go, because it raised concerns about whether employers can or should penalize someone who has a pre-existing or inherited condition.
To me, the real dilemma is the high percentage of Americans who won’t accept responsibility for their own actions. Those who say, “It’s just so convenient to pick up dinner for me and my kids at McDonald’s.” Why should I pay more for my family’s healthcare because I work alongside people who make bad choices? I shouldn’t. I would welcome a wellness plan that helps cut my healthcare costs and encourages people to make healthier choices.
Would you?
There’s an election under way. Local, state and national candidates are spending millions to introduce themselves and win your vote. But in this age of information overload, what’s working?
In a study released this week by AP-Knowledge Networks, for example, some undecided voters said they weren’t moved by negative advertising. “About 60 percent of so-called ‘persuadable’ voters said the ads made them no more or less likely to vote for McCain or Obama,” the study said. “And about a third appeared to throw up their hands, saying they were less likely to vote for either candidate after watching the ads.”
So tell me, dear bloggers, what media did you find most informative and persuasive during this campaign?
Do you simply pull the same party lever you always pull?
Is it the ads?
The debates?
Newspapers?
TV news shows?
Web sites?
Online media?
Blogs?
Robocalls?
The Daily Show or Saturday Night Live?
An in-church voter guide?
A rally?
A knock on your door?
A postcard in the mail?
Text messages?
Twitter?
Facebook?
Endorsements?
Word of mouth?
None of the above?
All of the above?
If you believe some of the candidates and coverage, nothing less than the future of our democracy (maybe even the planet) is at stake. So tell me: How did the candidates push your buttons to convince you to push theirs?
And please, be sure to vote on Nov 4.
I live in Fishers and work downtown. For years, my only transportation option was a daily 40-mile round-trip commute by car. But last year, I started taking the new express bus. Currently, 271 Fishers residents and 189 Carmel residents do the same. Collectively, we drive 84,000 fewer miles each week and annually consume 197,600 fewer gallons of gas.
For a while, I thought central Indiana finally understood public transit. I was delighted to see a $3.2 million increase for IndyGo in the Indianapolis city budget. My opinion changed Oct. 2 when IndyGo unveiled a rate hike and route changes. It seems the budget increase only covers employee benefits and increased transportation costs. So IndyGo must cut routes and increase fares. My monthly fare will jump 50 percent from $80 to $120. Net result: IndyGo’s commuter calculator shows it would cost me LESS if I drove myself.
To add insult to injury, federal funds cover 80 percent of the three-year express bus pilot program. When those dollars disappear, we’re on our own—via rider fares or local taxes. The Fishers town manager tells me local subsidies aren’t likely. Yet we always seem to have more money for wider roads and bridges.
If Indianapolis and surrounding communities want to be “world class,” we need world-class public transportation. But today, while Indianapolis is the 13th largest city in the country, it ranks 99th for its transportation system.
I’d rather spend my tax dollars providing improved public transportation than constantly widening roads. What do you think?
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