Companies focus on wellness programs to help bottom lines

Corporations view employee obesity and smoking as two things driving up their health care costs. Therefore, many businesses are taking steps toward wellness programs and incentives.

NPR: Corporations Offer Help In Trimming The Waist
As companies feel the financial burden of the obesity epidemic, some are trying to help their bottom line by helping employees with their waistline. One of the largest such efforts is at the Dow Chemical Company, which has operations in Michigan, Texas, Louisiana and West Virginia -; all states with some of the highest obesity rates in the nation (Ludden, 10/28).

Reuters: Insight: Firms To Charge Smokers, Obese More For Health Care
Like a lot of companies, Veridian Credit Union wants its employees to be healthier. In January, the Waterloo, Iowa-company rolled out a wellness program and voluntary screenings. It also gave workers a mandate -; quit smoking, curb obesity, or you'll be paying higher health care costs in 2013. It doesn't yet know by how much, but one thing's for certain -; the unhealthy will pay more. The credit union, which has more than 500 employees, is not alone (Mincer, 10/30).