There's plenty of skepticism out there about whether wellness programs actually help people lose weight. Some critics have alleged that the programs are counter-productive because they demoralize employees by through "weight-shaming."
But a new survey from HealthMine, a wellness company, highlights a potential benefit of such programs besides weight-loss.
According to the poll of 501 people with a heart disease, 43 percent said their condition was identified through a wellness program. In addition, the poll found that 68 percent participate in a wellness program that includes a disease management program, and that the vast majority (86 percent) take part in that program.
"Heart disease strikes someone in the U.S. once about every 43 seconds. But, we have the power to lessen the impact," said Bryce Williams, CEO of HealthMine. "Through personal clinical engagement, we can help people find out sooner, learn what they need to do and motivate them to do it."
Seventy-nine percent of respondents also reported that their wellness plan helped them manage their health care costs. Forty-two percent said it helped them a lot.
Wellness programs have scored a number of legal and political victories over the past year.
Not only has the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission proposed a rule allowing companies to issue financial incentives up to 30 percent of the cost of its health insurance, but the EEOC's own suit against a company that required employees to partake in biometric screenings to be eligible for company health care was rejected by a federal judge in December.
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