It turns out that HealthyWage’s “dieting for dollars” scheme, that I posted on yesterday, isn’t as bad as I thought.  Apparently not all employees binge before the initial weigh-in, though many do.   The good news is, some employees merely cheat!  Here is how ConscienHealth describes it:

Mixed in with [HealthyWage’s] sales pitch is the smallest germ of truth. If you ignore the people that these programs harm and alienate, you can find employees who have fun with weight loss competitions. They form a team, pack on pounds before the competition starts, and revel in extreme dieting for the short-term results that these programs reward. We’ve seen people wear heavy clothes and carry rolls of coins for their initial weigh-in. Drink a two liter diet soda before you weigh in and you have a 4.4-pound advantage.

Sounds like rather than a “culture of health,” HealthyWage is proposing a “culture of deceit.” And HealthyWage isn’t alone. ShapeUp (now part of VirginPulse) and Wellness Corporate Solutions are also major promoters of get-thin-quick schemes.

Score another harm for the wellness industry.  In future days I’ll be posting a comprehensive list of all the harms, direct and indirect, that “pry, poke and prod” programs, plus “dieting for dollars” have created in the corporate world. Hopefully there will be enough space on the internet.