Usually a tease like that leads to exactly the opposite content, as in Wellness Corporation Solutions Gives Us A Dose of Much-Needed Criticism, which of course turned into the poster child for our observation that “in wellness you don’t have to challenge the data to invalidate it.  You merely have to read the data.  It will invalidate itself.”

This is not that situation.

Michael Prager points out on his blog that I overstated the wellness-programs-as-fat-shaming case.  Note he doesn’t say I’m wrong, but he does say I overplayed my hand, which I did.  Many wellness programs fit my thesis…but some don’t.  If a company’s program is all about offers rather than threats, about creating an environment conducive to health improvement instead lecturing people on their weight, about doing wellness for employees instead of to them, and about leaving people alone who don’t want to or can’t lose the weight, then I’m all for it.  I should have been clearer about that.

If anyone would like to nominate an employer who has such a program, I would be happy to write it up.

And as you can see, we are also open to criticism of our positions, as long as the person writing the critique has a good point.  Naturally, this industry is overflowing with vendors and consultants who probably have never had a good point in their lives…and naturally Wellsteps is leading the way.  When we observed that Wellsteps’ most recent outcomes report showed costs going up and down at the same time, here is their (Troy Adams) rebuttal: We are full of “hot air.”