Weight Loss Battle of the Sexes?

As we blogged last week, one mission of a successful corporate wellness program is to include everyone. To do so, it's important to recognize that individuals often view weight loss differently. An approach that works for men won't necessarily work for women. The gender divide is the subject of a recent article in Newsweek, and, judging from reader comments, it's stirring up quite a bit of controversy!

The article states that although women tend to be more susceptible to "emotional eating," they are more willing than men to learn about nutrition. And while men are motivated by competition (a concept we've blogged about), women prefer "achieving goals in a supportive group."

Although there may be some stereotypes here, one thing is clear--designing an effective wellness program takes creativity. For example, one of our clients just started a weight loss competition that groups employees into teams. They're excited about a taking part in a group challenge, but you might feel that a different approach would be a better fit for your organization. The important thing is, be proactive about the health of your employees! And if you're stumped, drop us a line. Building successful programs is what we do.