When it comes to office pariahs, fat people have edged smokers out of the cubicle – or at least the break room. And, they draw particular ire from their healthier co-workers who remain convinced they're the ones carrying the heavier load – relatively speaking – when it comes to their ballooning health care premiums.
But, aside from the consternation of those excitable underwriters, no one seems to be doing much about it. And, employers aren't getting any help from the guy stocking the vending machines.
Kaiser Permanente Colorado, though, has put their money where the mouths are. Just last week, the carrier ponied up $16 million to start a community-based statewide obesity program, which targets schools, businesses and senior centers, among others. While Coloradoans aren't exactly the country's largest chunk of scale tippers, estimates indicate one in four schoolchildren are already considered overweight.
It's refreshing to see a company like Kaiser back up its "Thrive" marketing campaign, particularly at the community level.
Guess an ounce of prevention really is worth more than a pound of cure – or co-worker.
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