Cause for concern?

Employers across the country are handing out activity trackers and creating corporate wellness challenges to motivate employees to adopt healthier lifestyles.

It’s not surprising considering that obesity sets back businesses $73.1 billion per year in medical expenses and lost productivity, according to a Duke University study. But some of the tactics used by corporate wellness programs have raised concerns with health experts, who fear that employers will further alienate employees who have unhealthful habits or chronic ailments, such as diabetes.

LuAnn Heinen from the notfor-profit National Business Group on Health says that some employers are struggling to engage the people they most want to reach. “The employees who aren’t in shape might not want to go through one of these (company health) challenges,” she says. Many companies use leader boards, for instance, which can demoralize many.