While no one faults companies for promoting good habits, this new emphasis on preventative care has raised concerns that companies will hire or reward workers based on their ability to stay healthy. Such company wellness programs are voluntary, but studies have found that overweight people tend to earn less and get passed over for promotions.
In the memo intended for the Wal-Mart board of directors, Susan Chambers, the vice president in charge of benefits, said that promoting physical activity "would also dissuade unhealthy people from coming to work at Wal-Mart."
Moreover, these wellness measures are not expected to hold down medical costs on their own. Despite the years that General Motors and Union members worked to promote better health at auto plants, the company recently announced that employees will have to spend nearly four times as much to help cover their healthcare expenses.
Still, many companies are encouraged by the progress they've made so far.
"We've had a 10 percent reduction in health costs from lifestyle changes," says Schaefer of Union pacific.
For Gibson, the diesel mechanic who now weighs 250 pounds and is still dropping, the company has provided him more than a paycheck.
"It's given me more confidence," he says of losing weight. "I feel better about myself."
