By: Joann Bally CSCS
Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling signed a contract for next year that would give him $8 million plus $3 million in bonuses based on innings pitched and another $2 million based on maintaining his weight. He will have 6 random weigh-ins and get $333,333 each time he maintains his weight. Apparently, both Curt and the Sox think this incentive will help him keep fit and healthy. What if your salary depended on you keeping a healthy weight?
It’s against the law to not hire someone because of their weight, but creating incentives for employees to lead a healthy lifestyle may be good business in the long run. Insurance companies could also give a break to people who work out, maintain a healthy weight, and show other healthy behaviors, as they now do with nonsmokers. Much chronic illness is caused by poor lifestyle choices, and there is a rising cost to individuals, businesses, and society.
There may not be much you can do about this on a societal level right now, but you can give yourself incentives. Give yourself a couple of dollars each week you work out 2 or 3 times and/or walk 150 minutes, for instance. After 6 months or so, use the money to take yourself to a concert or a ball game, or buy some new running shoes. Pick something that works for you. Guilt and punishment don’t work in the long run, but positive incentives do, especially when you feel better afterward. Let’s all do something on an individual level to improve our health and fitness and battle the obesity epidemic, even if we don’t get $2 million for our efforts.
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