April 20, 2017

Podcast: Wellness programs – do they work?

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Andrew DePristo

April 22, 2017 at 6:56 am

I listed to this podcast and really didn’t hear anything that indicates these programs could be harmful to one’s health except some offhand comment about people losing and then regaining weight. If one eliminates the problem at Penn State (i.e., intrusive questions and coerced participation) and doesn’t try to measure whether each program is good for all people, doesn’t the fact that the programs push the 3 M’s (mediterranean, movement, moderation in eating) mean that the participants have to benefit? What possible harm can come from such a wellness program?

Gary Schwitzer

April 22, 2017 at 7:43 am

Andrew,

Thanks for your note.

The focus of the podcast – and the headline of the surrounding blog post – was “do they work?” – not “are they harmful?” And I don’t believe there was a single reference to the point you raise – “these programs could be harmful to one’s health.”

However, in the body of the podcast, was this section, capturing some of the beliefs of Al Lewis – one of 3 people interviewed in the podcast:

“What he considers harmful are the following: programs that don’t follow the screening guidelines of the US Preventive Services Task Force and screen way too much. Also, programs that are involuntary and use a punitive approach like the now-defunct Penn State program did. Finally, wellness programs that incentivize unhealthy behaviors like competitive weight loss programs, but then turn around and fail to provide up-to-date, evidence-based health advice. Then there is the issue of regulation. How much training and oversight is there in the wellness industry?”

There are legitimate questions about whether these programs work – especially in the ways that they are promoted. So there is potential harm in devoting time and money and institutional or corporate commitment to programs that may not deliver all that is promised.

Gary Schwitzer
Publisher, HealthNewsReview.org