Bosses Push Staff to Eat Right, Exercise

The Houston Chronicle recently published a story about companies trying to get their employees to eat better and begin exercising in order to reduce health care costs. Companies are beginning to understand that an unhealthy employee can cost the company much more. Some companies are encouraging exercise breaks, providing exercise bikes, or giving stretching classes throughout the day. Some have even hired a nutritionist on staff, dropped the prices of salads in the cafeterias and raised the prices of unhealthy food just to encourage employees to eat healthier. I really feel the best thing employers can do though is to lead by example.

Dan T. Cathy, president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc.
restaurants and a runner, has cajoled 265 company employees to run the January
Walt Disney World marathon or half-marathon with him. Most of the runners
joining him "have never done anything like that distance-wise," Cathy said of
his group. "There's a lot of first timers."
Cathy said he's motivated by his religious belief that the body is a temple and a more practical thought.
"We live in a time when there really is a healthcare crisis," said Cathy. "Every
segment of society needs to make a contribution."