Some companies in the United States have developed "wellness” programs that give rewards or incentives to employees for achieving certain health-related goals, such as stopping smoking or losing weight. The rewards and incentives include csh prizes, extra insurance fees (in the United States, health insurance fees are usually shared between the employer and the employee).Several arguments have been put forward in favour of the incentive programs.
First, the awards and incentives arc an excellent motivational tool for people to adopt healthy lifestyles. Many people would like to quit smoking or lose weight, but have difficulty getting started. The incentives provide the extra motivation on they need. One study suggests that giving people a cash incentive of 750 significantly increase their chances of quitting smoking. And in another study, people who got cash incentives were more likely to lose weight than those who did not.
Second, the advocates of incentive programs argue that rewarding people who are willing to adopt healthier lifestyles is only being fair. People who exercise, eat healthy diets, and maintain a healthy weight, for example, are less likely to incur medical smaller health insurance fees or get more vacation days.
Third, although the wellness incentive cost a lot of money for companies, the incentives save companies money in the long term. Losses in employee productivity due to illness can be very expensive for employers; programs that help health problems are chaep by comparison. For example, incentive programs have been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. The cost of the incentives given by a company to its employees to maintain their health through prevention programs is much less than the financial losses to a company caused by employees missing work due to illness and hospitalization.
