Clarian Health will fine employees $10 per paycheck if you are obese

[Sinergy 3]

That is so wrong i dont know where to start

[Emancipation 2]

I keep saying to myself this can't be true.. can't be true..

Wowzers... Couldn't do this in Canada FER sure!

[britbird 4]

Fine the obese ones and reward the healthy ones.

Losing weight is not hard - burn off more calories than you consume. And no one can use the excuse of 'well I don't have enough time'. That's BS. I have a 45 hour a week job, I go to law school in the evenings, I volunteer, and I have a second 15 hr a week job, and I still make time to go to the gym/walk/ride a bike/make something healthy for dinner.

If you have a thyroid or metabolic condition (and there aren't that many who have) that prevents you from losing weight then fine, but there is still a lot people can do to be healthier.

And if you have kids, then being obese is just damn selfish.

Classic response: I'm depressed/there's nothing I can do/I've tried every diet. No. If you have enough willpower to go through the immigration process, or to just get on in life generally then you have enough will power to change your habits, get up, start moving, and start burning off more than you eat.

[Arazia 0]

You said " I am considered obese" and" I may not exercise as much as I should..."....May I ask why? We all have our inherited crosses to bear; but I cannot understand for the life of me that if you are obese..you "do not exercise as much as you should"...therefore not even trying?? Not even for YOU ...never mind to save money on a paycheck....

You have my deepest respect for your charitable contributions, Arazia; but, a charity would lose $10.00 because you are unwilling to at least show your company you are at least trying to be healthier???

As you stated that inherited obesity is only a contributor to your weight, why not at least try to work on the rest that is not inherited?

Why not do it for yourself? For your body?? To be healthier-not just to save a few dollars.

Just as an FYI--I ballooned from a pre pregnancy weight of 129 to 228 ....I hate exercise-hate all that salady stuff-but with determination I did it and have maintained 135-140 ever since. I hated every second of losing weight-but I did it to be healthier FOR ME and MY FAMILY.

I am not trying to be a snot here, really I am not. I just don't understand why you would rather deny your charity $10.00 than at least try and get your weight down. That's all. Please correct me if I have misunderstood you.

The simple answer to your question would be: I don't have time. It's not a great excuse, but it's really the only one I can offer. I get up at 5:30am, don't get home till 5:00pm, and between house cleaning, making dinner, and trying to juggle the school life of my husband, I usually don't get a free moment until well past 7:30, at which point all I want is to relax for a little while. I usually go to bed around 9-9:30 so I can actually get my 8 hours of sleep, which usually leaves me maybe an hour and a half to do other things every night. Unfortunately, that time often gets taken up with other priorities. I do a lot of volunteer work for various online groups and sometimes I just want to sit back and be able to watch a television program without someone demanding my time.

In some ways, I think you're lucky. I have -never- been thin in my entire life. I have been over 200+lbs since I was in sixth grade. I have repeatedly tried dieting, and while I can lose weight, stress becomes an issue. While it was effective last time I dieted and increased my exercise, I pushed myself nearly to a mental breaking point because I had no time to myself to 'decompress' every night. It's just really hard to balance a good exercise routine and still play 'babysitter' to the three other adults who live with me who don't really contribute to much of anything but the mess.

Do I think that I need to lose weight? Yes. Do I want to be able to get on a regular exercise program? Yes. Do I think it's going to be happening any time in the near future? Probably not. Would being fined for my weight help me? No, it would only make me more stressed out about it.

As for the issue with the charity at my work, understand that I try to give what is 'excess' out of my paycheck. I try to give what I can spare, but I'm supporting my husband and his schooling on my salary, plus food that two other people in my house mooch off of. I don't have a lot to spare, so if they begin to fine me, that 'excess' that I put to charity use will go away. It's not as if I'm trying to intentionally slight them, but if I need that ten dollars a month to go towards food/school/supplies, etc. then that is where it is going to go.

[isleta521 5]

The simple answer to your question would be: I don't have time. It's not a great excuse, but it's really the only one I can offer. I get up at 5:30am, don't get home till 5:00pm, and between house cleaning, making dinner, and trying to juggle the school life of my husband, I usually don't get a free moment until well past 7:30, at which point all I want is to relax for a little while. I usually go to bed around 9-9:30 so I can actually get my 8 hours of sleep, which usually leaves me maybe an hour and a half to do other things every night. Unfortunately, that time often gets taken up with other priorities. I do a lot of volunteer work for various online groups and sometimes I just want to sit back and be able to watch a television program without someone demanding my time.

Arazia,

I see you have a busy schedule just like me and most. Try to spend just 10-15 minutes of jogging or begin with fast walking, or doing situps, stretching. And of course diet is a big contributer. It is easy to get something fast but is also easy to plan something ahead of time for better dieting.

Starting a routine is the key to a healthy lifestyle. It doesnt have to be much, especially in the beginning to get your body used to working out. Work for me starts at 6:00 am to sometimes later than 5:00pm, neighborhood assoc. board member, 4 children wife puts me to sleep around 11:00 at night but I always sneak in a workout even if I am dead tired. Sometimes after a good workout you will be surprised with your energy level and you will also feel so much better. Just my two cents and only trying to help. Wish you the best.

[britbird 4]

Get yourself a treadmill/eliptical/stationary bike and put it infront of the TV. If you have a bicycle but it's too hot outisde, you can get a cheap piece of kit to make it a stationary bike for that purpose.

Walking etc is relaxing - 30 minutes a day of ANY exercise is a start!

Like I said, I have to get up early, go to a regular job, then go to school until 8pm, sometimes near 10pm. I don't have a house cleaner, and I generally cook a bunch of stuff on the weekends so we don't have to go to that much trouble during the week. Even so, we eat proper food - whole grains, veggies, fruit.

30 minutes out of a day is nothing. Exercise releases chemicals that will make you less stressed and happier. It works. Stress for the most part is an accumulation of chemicals (usually things like adrenaline) that are most easy to get rid of by doing some exercise.

No one expects an overweight person to suddenly start up with a Rocky routine, but people have got to get moving - you will save yourself a tonne of money in the long term: less likely to need joint related surgeries, less likely to become diabetic, less likely to have a stroke, less likely to have heart problems, less likely to have a whole host of things which means you will spend less on healthcare.

I am fed up, frankly, with paying extra in health insurance to carry people who can't be bothered to take care of themselves. To me it's the same as having to pay extra car insurance to cover people who drive recklessly. Like I said, if there is a legitimate medical reason for a person to be unable to lead a healthy lifestyle that's fine, but otherwise it's just selfish self destructive behavior.

[Sinergy 3]

Fine the obese ones and reward the healthy ones.

Losing weight is not hard - burn off more calories than you consume. And no one can use the excuse of 'well I don't have enough time'. That's BS. I have a 45 hour a week job, I go to law school in the evenings, I volunteer, and I have a second 15 hr a week job, and I still make time to go to the gym/walk/ride a bike/make something healthy for dinner.

If you have a thyroid or metabolic condition (and there aren't that many who have) that prevents you from losing weight then fine, but there is still a lot people can do to be healthier.

And if you have kids, then being obese is just damn selfish.

Classic response: I'm depressed/there's nothing I can do/I've tried every diet. No. If you have enough willpower to go through the immigration process, or to just get on in life generally then you have enough will power to change your habits, get up, start moving, and start burning off more than you eat.

I take it you DONT have kids. try jugleing kids in with your already normal daily routine and actually spend time with them. you wont have time to go to the gym. you can walk, take your kids, and you can ride bikes with them, and you can make healthier meals. But yes, when you have kids, it does consume alot of your time, especially if you work and go to school.

Also have you ever been overweight in your life? thats the thing, most ppl who have never been overweight cant and dont understand what its like for ppl who are overweight. So preaching on HOW to lose weight bc it works for YOU, without understanding first, i say is just arrogance. (not you, just in general).

Edited August 8, 2007 by Ionescu

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

What about if your skinny as a rail and smoke three packs a day?

[smoke20 0]

What about if your skinny as a rail and smoke three packs a day?

they're clippin them too.

[Jasman0717 9]

$10 less to spend on potato chips, fatties!

[mawilson 2,133]

Only $10? Why even bother?

[isleta521 5]

Also have you ever been overweight in your life? thats the thing, most ppl who have never been overweight cant and dont understand what its like for ppl who are overweight. So preaching on HOW to lose weight bc it works for YOU, without understanding first, i say is just arrogance. (not you, just in general).

I know you were talking in general but I WAS overweight, smoked, and had other self destructive habits. And I know how tough it is. It was a life style change that came with time. It did not happen overnignt but I worked at it.

BTW, to keep on topic with this thread, I feel people shouldnt be penalized for being overweight.

[Sinergy 3]

but its your paycheck. you work for that money. yea id be pissed if someone took money from me just bc they saw me as pleseantly plump. That $10 may not go directly to food, i have alot of issues with this.

Edited August 8, 2007 by Ionescu

[Heracles 417]

The people working for them should just quit. It is not the 1900's. People are a company's best capital.

[Sinergy 3]

Also have you ever been overweight in your life? thats the thing, most ppl who have never been overweight cant and dont understand what its like for ppl who are overweight. So preaching on HOW to lose weight bc it works for YOU, without understanding first, i say is just arrogance. (not you, just in general).

I know you were talking in general but I WAS overweight, smoked, and had other self destructive habits. And I know how tough it is. It was a life style change that came with time. It did not happen overnignt but I worked at it.

BTW, to keep on topic with this thread, I feel people shouldnt be penalized for being overweight.

I gained alot of weight with my second pregnancy. It is taking time to take the weight off bc i am a busy person. Its insane to take money from someones paycheck for being overweight. its insulting, just like its insulting to throw sandwiches at anerexic looking ppl