Workplace weight programs produce modest losses

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People who take part in weight-loss programs set up by their employers manage to lose at least modest amounts of weight compared to co-workers who do not take part, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

But their review of 11 studies published from 1995 to 2006 of such workplace programs in the United States, Britain, Japan, Sweden, New Zealand and Australia did not show whether those employees who lost weight managed to keep it off.

Obesity has been on the rise in the United States and many other countries in recent decades, alongside related illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Some companies have sponsored programs of various kinds aimed at helping employees lose weight and stay fit.

Dr. Michael Benedict of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, who led the new research, said relatively few studies have assessed how well these programs work.

Benedict said existing research also does not show whether sponsoring such a program saves a company money through greater worker productivity, lower absenteeism and reduced health care costs.

"The programs are helpful for at least short-term, modest weight loss in people who actually participate in them," Benedict said in a telephone interview.

"Part of the problem is getting the people who need it the most to participate in them. A lot of times, health programs really just recruit people who already are doing the right thing," added Benedict, whose findings were published in the American Journal of Health Promotion.