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Being fat will cost you if you work at Whole Foods.
In an effort to trim its health insurance costs and promote healthy living for its work force, Whole Foods is offering employees who have lower body mass indexes, cholesterol and blood pressure and who refrain from smoking greater discounts on its products, the New York Daily News reported.
"The program is designed to provide tools and incentives to encourage healthier lifestyles, and it is completely voluntary," Whole Foods spokeswoman Libba Letton told Slashfood.
"It directly supports two of our company's core value: supporting team member happiness and excellence and the second one is promoting the health of our stakeholders through healthy eating education," Letton said.
Employees with the best health indicators will get 30 percent discounts as "platinum" level members of the company's "Team Member Healthy Discount Incentive" program. Gold tier members get 27 percent off, silver get 25 percent and bronze members get 22 percent discounts. All employees receive 20 percent discounts.
Some, however, have criticized the program, saying it discriminates against the overweight, the paper reported.
"Why are you rewarding people who are naturally thin? We believe it's discrimination," Peggy Howell, a spokeswoman for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, told the Daily News. "We are encouraging our membership and anyone else who agrees with us to shop elsewhere."
Letton, however, told Slashfood that Whole Foods doesn't see it that way.
"Obviously we don't think it discriminates against anyone. It's a program that's open to everyone but certainly nobody is required to participate. I work right here with people who are deciding not to do it and people who are deciding to do it," she said. "Most of the people I've talked to are excited about it."
In addition to its program for employees, last week Whole Foods announced a program to help customers eat healthy through in-store classes and partnership with nutrition programs.
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1-28-2010 @5:19PM Sarah said... The dumb part about it isn't fatness rather that a skinny male with little muscle would get more reward where a man of the same height with a healthy amount of muscle would get penalized.
And considering that both high cholesterol and blood pressure can be genetic and run in thin people....uh yeah.
Good idea in theory, not in actuality. Better to offer gym discounts instead?
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1-29-2010 @5:49PM She11711 said... It is not true that someone with a healthy amount of muscle would be penalized or get a lower discount. Someone who is healthier and works out more would have better cholesterol and blood pressure numbers.
This program also does not simply reward people who are naturally thin as the dissenters in the article state. Naturally thin people who do not lead healthy lifestyles are still at risk for high blood pressure numbers and cholesterol, weight is not the only factor Whole Foods is using. I think it is a great well balanced approach to encouraging healthy habits
1-29-2010 @6:12PM pingui said... Actually, because it is based on body-mass-index (BMI), that's probably not so. A person who is lean (not a lot of fat) but has muscle has a low BMI. A person can be thin, but not have much muscle, and actually have a higher BMI. What would be useful to know is whether Whole Foods is doing a simple BMI calculation without taking body fat into account, or is actually doing body-fat measurements to get to a more accurate BMI.
1-29-2010 @9:38PM eat healthy said... It's based on body mass dumba$$ You can be thin and have a higher body mass than someone who has more lean muscle...
1-28-2010 @6:24PM Jess said... They might think it's a reward, but I think it's discrimination. Besides, if they were so worried about the fat people who work for them, then they'd offer the fat people more of a discount so they could actually afford to shop at Whole Paycheck.
Seriously, the CEO of Whole Foods is a douche. I have stopped shopping there entirely...not only are they too expensive, but I can't support a company run by a complete clown. He'd rather see fat people punished monetarily for being fat by the insurance companies (and apparently also by Whole Foods themselves!) than actually get some health care reform.
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1-29-2010 @7:26PM marcus said... Jess:
Say what you like; shop where you like. But as for calling the CEO a douche because he didn't support the health care bill...turns out about 66 percent of the American people didn't support it either. So are most of the people you meet "douches"? Are you the only non-douche out there? I get so sick of people like you calling other people names because you don't agree with them. So first grade. You nuthead.
1-29-2010 @7:56PM Nels said... Yeah..everyone puts down fat people! Everyone needs to be more simpathetic and coddle those who really have control over their mouths and what they put into them! Let's blame it on inadequate health care instead of all the overweight, unhealthy people who don't lift a finger to change their own way of life. It's always someone elses fault. How about the obese accepting responsibility and turning to a positive, healthy life style that will put themselves on a path towards a longer life. Do you know that today's younger generation is on the road to a shorter life span than their parents. Certainly it is their parents who are the enablers providing the poor diets and doing nothing to encourage exercise and weight control. The Whole Foods Company is doing right to reward and encourage those employees who are eating right, exercising right and maintaining healthy bodies.
1-29-2010 @9:38PM fatty fatty said... Sorry, it is true that larger people have more of a health risk... Is it asking you to be stick thin, no. It is asking you to eat healthy foods, which if you are fat and disgusting you probably are not mustering enough energy to even walk out the door for a job, let alone going to apply at a health food store.
1-29-2010 @11:14PM JS said... The program is voluntary and a company incentive--a bonus (not required by any means) for people who take care of their health. People have a choice as to how they care for their body. If people exercise and eat better, they will improve their physiology--regardless of weight. And having healthier employees lowers a company's insurance rates and results in fewer sick days. Time to wake up and stop criticizing a great thing--maybe other companys can join them and lead the changes needed for people and health care.
1-28-2010 @8:36PM Samme said... Encouraging people to eat healthy is one thing. Penalizing people is another. I agree with both posters above and will also add that this policy could also be seen as age-discrimination. It is a lot easier to lose weight before 30 than later on. Middle aged people are also more likely to have responsibility for children/aging parents and less time to work out and count calories.
If they wanted to make a positive healthy difference to their employees they would offer to all employees:
1) bigger discounts on their vegetables, low fat dairy, whole grain products and lean meats
2) smaller discounts on the processed foods, cheeses, fatty meats (sausage) and
3) no discounts on the sugar, shortening, lard, bakery-dessert items.
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1-29-2010 @4:30PM lola said... no one is being penalized, the less fit are merely being offered an incentive... the standard discount is 20%, and healthier employees can earn higher rewards.. to get your bachelors degree, you need to maintain a "C" average... people with higher grades may receive a bachelor's degrees "cum laude", "magna cum laude", or "summa cum laude"... so, are colleges and universities discriminating against less accomplished students? these complaints are ridiculous - why are so many people in this country so eager to play the discrimination card?...accomplishments SHOULD be rewarded. it's one of the best ways to motivate someone to acheive excellence, whether in fitness, academic achievement, or other disciplines..
1-29-2010 @7:15PM shelly said... Well put Lola!
in addition.....if you don't like the incentive then don't work there it is a voluntary program...get a grip people. There are bigger fish to fry than screaming "discrimination" to an ADDITIONAL discount for Whole Foods employees.
1-29-2010 @11:18PM City Girl said... Lola, your comment was very well stated. Americans continue to gain more weight with each passing decade which contributes to less healthy Americans with more weight related health problems.
So for Whole Foods to come up with a healthy eating lifestyle incentive...good for them. Anyone who is truly serious about their health would be doing more to promote good health rather than stopping at what Whole Foods has to offer. There's so much more individuals can do for themselves that cost nothing except committment. People, stop being so negative and make a postive change in your lives.
1-29-2010 @8:30PM LC said... I totally agree. Discrimination would be if they didn't hire fat people.
1-29-2010 @8:06PM Ditto! said... I wholeheartedly agree with you lola and shelly! Its getting sooooo tiresome hearing people cry discrimination at every idea that does not revolve around them. It has become such a "me, me, me" world and it's getting sickening......it never occurs to these people that in attempting to establish 'their' right to every blessed thing (whether it is a 'true' right or not), they are trampling on the rights and freedoms of others. Bottom line here is that NO ONE is being discriminated against....EVERYONE is entitled to a discount....those who CHOOSE to strive for a better discount (and meet the established criteria), however will be rewarded. Like any goal in life there IS NO guarantee that you will succeed (sorry, but thats just a fact of life)....so when you don't you have the option of trying harder or giving up (this again is YOUR CHOICE). Don't like it??? Well then don't work there or shop there to show your discontent (yep, another CHOICE you have!). In short, all you whiners need to seriously start taking more responsibility for yourself (taking control of your OWN actions/decisions) and focus a little less on insinuating your need for 'control' in other peoples lives. By the way....I am NOT someone who would be able to meet the stores criteria either, but I respect their intent with offering this program as well as their right to do so.
1-29-2010 @11:22PM js said... They are not penalizing people--this is a "bonus" incentive. Don't you get it? I wish my company/college would offer an incentive like that--we'd get so many more people being active.
Stop criticizing--this company can do what it wants--and at least its a good thing. Maybe you should try eaing better--you'd be less cranky and critical.
2-01-2010 @10:29AM dal0506 said... I shop at Whole Foods every week and I cannot recall seeing LARD on the shelves or in the bakery products I buy. If you quit eating at restaurants and actually cook your own meals with groceries purchased at Whole Foods, it's more affordable than you might think. Consider that you are not dropping $50 at Chili's or Applebee's or (insert your regular spot) or $15 at MCD's or BK or (same here) several times a week and there is more money for healthier groceries in the budget.
1-28-2010 @9:38PM Alissa said... As someone who eats incredibly healthy and exercises everyday, I still have high cholesterol (genetics). I am astonished that Whole Foods would actually go through with something like this, let alone let it be publicized. I give it a week before an employee/former employee sues for discrimination, and a week after that before they retract the policy.
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1-29-2010 @5:08PM Bill said... I also have high cholesterol, through both genetics and pigging out on fried food. If I was working at Whole Foods, I'd be happy my company cared enough to offer such incentives. And if I didn't quite make it all the way to platinum, so be it. As far as the comments of the rep from the 'Fat Acceptance' group, listen up - you try sitting on a cross country flight on Southwest sitting next to a corn-fed livestock and see how much you enjoy it. America spends way too much time sitting, be it in front of the TV, computer, video games, etc. Our youth is overfed and under-exercised. I decided to get off my lazy ass and lose weight, go to the gym, eat better, and the results are already promising. So quit all the whining about how Whole Foods is being unfair and make yourselves healthier! Damn crybabies.
1-28-2010 @9:49PM Geena said... I agree with Samme - if they had wanted to make this REALLY about health, they'd offer the bigger discounts on the healthier things like fruits and veg, whole grains, legumes, tofu, lean meats, smaller discounts on processed items and remove the discount entirely from non-food edible entertainment (sugars, lard, bleached flour items.)
As the program stand it arbitrarily benefits those with good genetics and serves as a further slap in the face to those who need help making sensible healthy purchases the most (those with the less lucky genetic dice rolls.) It's just a self serving pat on the back to the privileged.
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