I guess I saw that coming

[cellio]

A couple of years ago my employer earnestly announced a health fair to "help" us better manage our health, and if we would agree to supply certain data like our cholesterol numbers and BMI and other stuff to them (in aggregate only, they assured us), we would be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card. A raffle ticket with that kind of expected value did not entice me. They did it again, raising the raffle stakes some, but I still didn't bite. (If it's for my own benefit, after all, then my annual physical should do the job, no?)

This year they announced that health-care costs are going up, but if we supply this information -- which we can get from a conveniently-scheduled health fair -- our cost will be $500 lower than it would be otherwise. I signed up. I guess we know what I am; we're just haggling over price.

Comments

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

Fortunately, my employer hasn't added a stick to their carrot (yet).

I have boycotted the annual health survey every year since the first time it was offered, though, because its "counseling points" are not only wrong, but stupid.

I gave it my height and weight (hence [elevated] BMI) and a history of Major Depressive Disorder. It took those two pieces of information and told me that I was depressed because I was fat.

This kind of "help", I don't need.

[cellio]

Yeah, that's pretty broken.

I haven't been paying much attention to BMI (yeah, I know I'm fat; I don't need a new number to tell me that), but does it really not take into account any other factors, like build? I guess I'll find out more next week.

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

No. Basically, BMI is the old insurance height/weight charts, without even the saving grace of adjusting for small/medium/large frame. It's complete bullshit (and I say this not only personally, but professionally, as a physician and as an educator of pharmacists). Unfortunately, it's easily measured and calculated, so it's likely to be persistent bullshit.