You Might Lose Your Job If You Smoke or Eat Junk Food

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You Might Lose Your Job If You Smoke or Eat Junk Food

_http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/03/you-might-lose-

your-job-if-you-smoke-or-eat-junk-food.aspx_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/03/you-might-lose-yo\

ur

-job-if-you-smoke-or-eat-junk-food.aspx)

 

 

 

In an effort to reduce health care costs, employers are beginning to

scrutinize the lifestyle habits of their employees -- even those that happen

outside

of business hours.

 

It’s commonplace for insurance companies to question clients about their

smoking habits, weight, or other health issues. However, a new trend has

employers screening employees and new job applicants for these same factors.

The

following factors could now put your job on the line:

 

1. Smoking

2. Blood pressure

3. Blood glucose levels

4. Body mass

5. Bad cholesterol levels

 

 

Currently only a small portion of U.S. employers have taken action against

what they deem unhealthy behaviors, but the list is growing. For instance, in

September 2007 The Cleveland Clinic began screening potential employees for

nicotine. If any is found in their systems, they’re denied employment.

 

In 2009, another company, Clarian Health, plans to start charging employees

$5 per paycheck if they are found using tobacco or to have abnormal levels of

cholesterol or high blood pressure.

 

Meanwhile, employees at Weyco Incorporated can be charged $50 fees per

paycheck not only if they smoke, but if their spouse smokes as well.

 

Privacy advocates are concerned that these monitoring trends will get out of

hand, with employers charging fines for eating fast food or visiting a

tavern. Most experts believe, however, that as health care costs continue to

rise,

employers will continue to enact penalties for unhealthy behaviors.

 

 

Sources:

* _The Business Shrink September 27, 2007_

(http://businessshrink.biz/psychologyofbusiness/2007/09/27/employees-fired-and-f\

ined-for-smoking-obesity-an

d-blood-test-results/)

 

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These latest strategies to elevate your health:

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Dr. Mercola's Comments

 

It is about time that people start having some economic incentives to

stay healthy. The trend has been to provide good-tasting convenience foods that

are relatively inexpensive but dramatically contribute to disease.

 

I firmly believe that people should have freedom of choice for their

lifestyle behaviors, but it sure makes a lot of sense to provide economic

incentives

at work for healthy choices. The current system simply passes on the costs

for these unhealthy choices to the entire culture. Everyone has to pick up the

bill for these choices, and has been typically penalized by higher insurance

premiums (and for those without insurance, far higher costs if they ever

have to go to a hospital).

 

The article mentions that some workplaces start out encouraging their

employees to be healthier by offering incentives to do so, then later switched

to

charging fines.

 

Fortunately, there are new health care models that provide amazingly

effective alternatives to traditional group insurance. I recently switched my

entire

organization over to a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) with individual --

not group -- plans and we were able to radically improve the number of

people covered, and lower the costs dramatically.

 

Paul Pilzer, a renowned economist, helped to spearhead this change and make

it a legal option for employers. I interviewed him recently and hope to make

that available in the near future.

 

Of course, it would be helpful to provide employees with the tools they need

to make healthier choices. Providing healthy food in workplace cafeterias

would be a start, along with offering before- or after-work exercise programs,

or paying for an employee’s gym membership. But unless people have an incent

ive, they tend to resort to their manipulated brainwashing media messages and

make consistently unhealthy choices.

 

How to Improve Your Health and Keep Your Job

 

What should you do if your employer has not yet opened its eyes to the

benefits of providing healthy options? You should take matters into your own

hands, and create the happy, healthy life you desire. This way, you can make

the

most of your time on the job, and your time at home with your loved ones.

 

Start to use the over 100,000 pages of free information on this site so you

can learn simple, practical and inexpensive tools and start taking control of

your health. Some of the major points are:

* Relieve your stress. In order to do this, I suggest using the energy

psychology tool the _Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)_

(http://www.mercola.com/forms/eftcourse1.htm) . It is a psychological

acupressure technique that

can help you to channel your stress-related thoughts and leave you feeling

calmer and more able to face your challenges, INCLUDING balancing your family

and work time pressures.

* Incorporate a _routine exercise program_

(http://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/exercise.htm) into your life. You’ll

feel more energized and

happier. When you feel strong physically, it’s much easier to feel strong

mentally and emotionally, as well.

* Form good eating habits. You can do this by first determining your

personal _nutritional type_

(http://www.mercola.com/2003/feb/26/metabolic_typing.htm) and understanding the

right kind of foods you should eat.

* Take time out to sleep. I can't stress enough the importance of

getting a good night's sleep. If you are constantly moving 24-7, are having

problems sleeping, or simply feel there is too much to do to waste it on sleep,

I

would encourage you to read my _33 Secrets to a Good Night's Sleep_

(http://www.mercola.com/article/sleep.htm) . The techniques in this guide will

help

you get the needed sleep you're lacking, and improve both the quality and

quantity of your sleep.

 

 

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_Are You Living the Fast Life, Rather Than the Good Life?_

(http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Are-You-Living-the-Fast-Life--Rather-Tha\

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-19866.aspx)

 

_Prostate Cancer Risks Rise With Shift Work_

(http://www.mercola.com/2006/oct/7/prostate_cancer_risks_rise_with_shift_work.ht\

m)

 

_Stressed About Office Work? Here’s How to Relax_

(http://www.mercola.com/2004/apr/28/office_stress.htm)