Should employers pay for workers' weight loss surgeries?

This article should not even be considered. I'm not obese, but 25 lbs overweight. It's my fault. If I was 100 lbs overweight and surgery would help, I'm going to ask tax payers for help......not!! This is crazy and should continue to be considered "cosmetic". You feel you can't do it on your own and want gastro bypass or slimband, find away to pay for it. It's for you afterall. But it's not for us. In most cases, we probably like the person or persons in question anyway.

Using the same logic, people with lung cancer due to smoking should also pay for their treatment. What about people that knowingly don't follow safety precautions and end up needing surgeries and rehabilitation because they injure themselves? Drinkers that develop liver and pancreas ailments should also pay for their health care since they knowingly caused themselves harm.
That logic is crazy
What we can do is educate our children about food, additives and provide them with a healthy diet no matter what their socioeconomic status is. Many children grow up eating horrible food full of trans-fat and heaven knows what other additives because that is what they can afford. We allow advertisements for these foods on known children's TV channels during primetime. Most 3 year olds cannot read, but they sure know all the fast food places and can point them out readily. Marketing to a 3 year old isn't rocket science and one could argue that the parents then have control to not go there. Remember that these same parents grew up with the same marketing and same bad eating habits.
A person with a BMI of over 30 has a 5% chance of successfully losing the weight. Not a comforting statistic. Overweight people do not want to be overweight and can struggle with a host of other medical conditions. All of these other medical conditions cost the health care system a lot of money. If we address the education of children and fund the appropriate surgery with education, we will have a healthier society. It took a number of years for people to get the message about smoking, it will take time for us as a society to undo the poor food choices we have taught a couple of generations.

I think there's a significant difference between being 25lbs over weight, like most of us, or being 125 lbs overweight and being morbidly obese. Many people who fall into this morbidly obese category have mental issues, food addictions, or other contributing health factors that lead them here. We've identified obesity as the single biggest health crisis facing the young generation... it makes sense to me to offer support to people who are trying to make lasting change. What is it smoking cessation therapy? Or some other chronic problem where people frequently said "Too damn bad, you did it to yourself, now fix it yourself?" Long term, the burden morbidly obese people place on healthcare system is going to cost significantly more than subsizing a weightloss procedure.

There are 2 sides to every argument. People who have never had weight issues may have to walk a mile in the shoes of a person who is obese. I need to lose the "25 lbs" and would love a quick fix. But people who are morbidly obese are far past the "fix it themselves" stage. Their issues are far beyond just the food. By allowing gastric bypass & lap band surgeries to be covered by their employers health care, it should also cover the cause (emotional,physical &physiological). My employer covers smoking cassation, drug and alcohol recovery, chronic disease (medication and help) so why not cover surgery & all related to obesity. Obese people have a responsibility to take the lead in their weight loss & recovery but employers should support everything it will take to achieve that goal.
I agree the key to ending obesity is education and ensuring our children are active, eat healthy and are made aware of the lifelong affects of obesity. Reality is that people are obese and they require help.
Pay now or pay more later!

My employer does not cover smoking cessation or anything to do with alcohol or drug problems.
Programs given by employers are not all the same. If you are going to force employers to pay for wieght issues then they should all have to pay for alcohol and drug problems and smoking cessation. The other thing, which i feel should be addressed if we are going this route ,is the small amounts for vision coverage by most plans.(which is by no means self-imposed) Where i am an eye exam is 120.00 and then add glasses which are very expensive. the 200.00 - 300.00 every 2 years doesnt amount to much. Forcing employers to pay does not seem like a good idea to me but lobbying our government to allow us to claim these expenses on our taxes might help out some. Having to stock pile receipts for years to reach the percentage of your income before you can claim is silly. Thouands of dollars spend to drug or alcohol treatment is not a legitimate claim for our government. They all want us to take care of ourselves but provide no assistance. Why should the employers be forced to take care of what our government will not acknowledge? Will you also demand every company provide equal coverage for their employees? Asking all to share part of the cost (through tax reduction when the money is spent) is a much better step than asking the employers. Add to that most people in these morbidly obese situations have already lost their job
due to thier inability to function normally so this plan wouldnt even help the ones most effected. if we want this it should be up to the government...not the employer.

When I was young I was always about 5 lbs. over the 'perfect' weight. After ECT and decades on antidepressants post-1992, my weight spiked over time to 248 lbs.
Thanks to the inaccurate method of ECT which hit not only my 'metabolism' area but also my 'photographic/language' memory and my fear/flight centres and given the intolerable side effect of WEIGHT GAIN from virtually all psychotropics, I developed Diabetes Type 2 and High Blood Pressure. The diagnosis was an early death.

Definitely, I was very happy when Gastric Bypass became 'covered' in Ontario. However, the long term effects and the danger of the actual very invasive surgery [even though laparoscopic' was almost a life-ender as well.

I certainly believe that any provincial government should cover all of the GASTRIC CHOICES 'Banding' including but not limited to Gastric Bypass, Gastric Bypass Vertical Sleeve, 'Banding' and of course, the least invasive methods of 'Baloon' as well as Intra-Oral Surgeru/ The last is performed only in Alberta and consists of the safe insertion of a basket via the mouth down to the stomach where is 'gathers' the stomach and brings it up until the contents are approximately 3 to 4 ounces. The SIDE EFFECTS - a sore throat for a short term.

I could certainly have done with that!

As for companies, well, definitely, they should provide semi-private rooms, pre-post 'surgery' counselling for one year and any enzymes/minerals/vitamins or tests required part or full lifetime.

THIS IS NOT A SUBJECT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. A POSSITIVE amd PROACTIVE attitude must be taken towards Obesity and MORBID Obesity because no matter how it happened, it needs to be addressed BEFORE a person develops life-threatening Diabetes or Heart Disease. Grow up people! This is very complicated and serious.

March 10/11

As a further comment, pre- Bypass surgery I lost my Gall Bladder. Post-surgery I quickly lost any symptoms of both Diabetes and High Blood Pressure which was incredible. However, it took a full three months to adapt to a completely new way of dealing with and seeing food in my life. I have a wonderful new perspective BUT I also developed XEROSTOMIA which is such severe dry mouth that patients receiving Cancer treatments often get.

I have learned that 'saliva is my friend'. Without it I now get 13 to 15 cavities per year, my teeth are brittle and turning a tone of grey, my seasonal allergies now provide me with a constant sense that I have swallowed a hair or something and I am constantly in need of water as well as suar-free lozenges and gum. My husband's EMPLOYER Dental Health Plan is used up with an annual set of dental x-rays and filling SOME of the cavities.

Thankfully, I get my teeth cleaned at the local College of Dental Health or I would never be able to have my teeth cleaned. Being on Long-Term Disability severely lowers a taxpayers ability to maintain good health.

Since these are just some 'low-lites' my friends, it behooves the scoffers one and all to think that Obesity and Morbid Obesity is self-imposed. I never planned to be more than 110 lbs.

First let me say that I've been overweight all my life

I feel that some folks above have made some good arguments both in depth and on the surface.

There is a BIG difference between people who MUST HAVE treatment, and those who ELECT treatment. Yes, for the smokers with cancer, the alcoholics with liver ailments, etc. they get to a point of REQUIRING treatment, and they get it.

However, as a smoker, I was not entitled to have ANY smoking cessation materials covered by health care. It's not allowed (in Alberta). So my desire to quit smoking must be done on my own at my own expense.

Same for the overweight people.... if WE (I'm including myself) WANT to lose weight we should be doing it at our own expense. However, if our weight should happen to cause a problem that REQUIRES treatment or surgery... I would expect to get it the same as the smokers with cancer or the alcoholics needing liver treatment.

Let's be reasonable about the difference between a WANT and a NEED (in order to stay alive).

Thanks.

If you work at a place that has health benefits normally a portion are paid by the employee. So, in effect the employee is paying for a portion of their OWN gastric bypass or lap band procedure. Even if you have private insurance that you pay for yourself it should be covered, if only a portion and the government covers the rest. In many cases it's been proven that losing weight helps prevent other health problems. So by putting out the money once they may be saving a lot more in the long run.

There are long-term side effects to weight loss surgery. Sudden heart attack is the most common. I had gastric bypass & it did wonders for me for about the 1st 5 yrs. Then I got very sick, couldn't keep anything down, had perforated ulcer & almost bleed to death and in my 9th yr I had to have it reversed because I was starving to death. I was so sick & malnourished that my teeth decayed & rotted to the gum line & my skin was transparent...I won't tell anyone not to do it, but I would advise finding as much long term research as you can get your hands on...I know people who have died and left small children behind, I was almost one of them but thanks to the love & support from my wonderful family & Doctor's I WAS VERY LUCKY!!! Feel free to contact me for more info at BlueChevyLady@Gmail.Com
It's not the miracle cure for weight loss it's made out to be, I know I've been full circle with it!!!

I'm appalled at some of the arrogance behind obesity. My mom has been voerweight her entire life...w have pics of her when she was a baby growing up to a young guirl to a teenager to present day...she has alwayss been obese...and she is deffinitley not lazy...she raised 7 children and half the neighbourhood kids, played baseball, soccer, tag you name it...the parents on our street were greatful for her becasue she kept everyones kids busy...and still she was obese... A few years ago she opted to have lapband surgery (it cost a bundle) for the first time in her life she looked as good as everyone always thought she felt...these days she is a little slower moving but lapband surgery changed her life...I love my mom and I challenge anyone who says that "fat people are lazy"...I thank God everyday for these wonderful Doctors who are giving these individuals a new lease on life...and I believe sponsored surgeries would have a positive outcome.

What famous Canuck politician decided that Canuck politicos should write their own salary stipends? Canadians will have to wake up and smell the crap they/we have allowed to prevail in this country.

tl

I don't think that employers should ever pay for a workers' weight loss surgery. Today it seems like everyone changes jobs/companies every 5 years so why should a company have to pay for a $16,000 surgery and who knows how many months of recovery only to have the employee leave a few years. Leaving behind a large medical bill that the rest of the employees have to pay for with larger premiums.

Now if the government would chip in a portion for people with the highest priority i have no problems with that. Preferably a scale with those who try (don't drink, don't smoke) get a large percentage paid for than someone who isn't trying (binge drink, smoke). Spend some money now to get healthier people for the rest of their lives.

I only have this to say! We should tax all fattening food! since obese people will be a burden to our health care system.. same as we do for the smokers!!

It is a good question whether an employer should pay for his employees' weight loss surgery. In my view, the surgery may come under cosmetic surgey and hence should not be paid by an employer. But sometime, obesity is due to some ailment like thyroid problem. In that case, employees should get subsidized for weight loss surgery. It is good if people take some precautions to prevent themselves from obesity by building good and healthy eating habit rather than to face situation of weigh loss surgery..

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LOL …it’s very nice article.

Interesting. I won't sit and make judgements on those of you who have made comments and I myself am very thankful that this is a free world and we all have our opinions that we are entitled to have and share. I have been a 'big' girl all my life. I can relate to the post about the mother who raised 7 kids and the neighborhood kids and was obese her whole life. Well, I only have 3 kids, but as a Nurse (in charge of a 50 bed facility and supervisor to 65+ staff), a husband, a yard that requires gardening, hobbies, and kids hobbies...I can also say that I am far from lazy. For many reasons, some internal, some external, the weight just does not budge.
Should my employer pay or subsidize my weight loss surgery. Maybe, maybe not. My employers are very supportive in all employees efforts at best health and wellness, but I guess the line has to be drawn somewhere. However on the other hand, having the surgery partly or all paid by my employer would not only help me to feel more confident in my professional appearance, I may in fact be able to complete or perform tasks that would have previously required endurance that may not have been possible before. It may also be a contributing and/or significant part of employee retention. I would be more likely to stay with a company or organization knowing that they really do have one's best interest in health in mind. In the long run, taking time off work due to the secondary illnesses associated with obesity, can not only impact the bottom line of the organization but the morale and committment of the employees.
So as I mention, in this wonderful free world, and as a self paying individual planning on surgery, I too am entitled to my opinion. Let's just say, my employer would regain the cost of my surgery within a maximum of 3 years for the headaches, time off, sleep apnea, menorhagia, etc that I experience as associated with being a 'big' girl.
Thanks