What are some tips for workplace weight control?

With two-thirds of Americans deemed as obese, employers and employees have a lot to lose in keeping up with the healthcare costs associated with chronic and debilitating diseases associated with obesity, such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension, to name a few. Although many companies now offer individual weight reduction seminars and programs and on-site fitness centers, there is little participation and long-term results.

The problem is that most single-sourced nutrition and diet plans found at companies don't do enough to continually reinforce a healthier lifestyle. Your employees' weight loss is not just about eating less and exercising more. It's about changing behavior. Here are some tips for workplace weight control:

l Go team go. Make the weight loss a team effort. Being the "biggest loser" at work could be the best thing for an employee. When others are pushing an employee to succeed, losing weight becomes less of a chore and brings colleagues together. If a member of the executive team is overweight or interested in maintaining a more healthy lifestyle, his or her participation will actually improve morale and weight loss.

l Do a walk about. Encourage employees who drive to work to park their car as far away from the main entrance of the building. Employees should also be encouraged to take stairs to and from meetings, take a walk at lunch or find a place to eat that requires a longer walk to get there.

l Beware of diet sabotage. Employees who consume a few M&M's while visiting a colleague's desk or grabbing a few cookies from a platter following a business meeting are consuming calories that they can do without. Consider serving water and fruit at business meetings, rather than the traditional soda and cookies.

l Soda blast. Harvard researchers have found that reducing regular soda consumption by just one can a day can result in up to 15 pounds of weight loss a year for most people. Offer more juice choices in the vending machines and encourage employees to sip on a glass of water throughout the day.

l Stand to speak. Employees likely don't know that standing more throughout the day can burn an extra 50 calories. Suggest that next time they take a phone call, they should stand up and stay up until their call is through. Pacing, if possible, during the call is a great way to increase calorie burn too.

l Don't go for bloat. Employees who overeat at lunch can feel bloated and lethargic, which will likely result in their decreased productivity. Encourage employees to make wise food decisions at lunch time and to avoid large snacks.

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