One Key to Weight Loss Success: Moral Support

After a health fair screening, it's important to start thinking about next steps. Now that your employees know their numbers, that knowledge must translate into action. We've blogged before about two great ways to continue the process: weight loss challenges and health coaching. Both are effective because they provide substantial moral support.

In an article posted at the Harvard Business Review online, one physician argues that doctors often prescribe costly treatments when simple lifestyle changes could work just as well. According to a New Zealand study, the key to making those changes stick is emotional support:

Overweight women who met regularly with a nurse and a fellow dieter or "buddy" for a brief keep-the-weight-off chat were just as likely to maintain weight loss over a two-year period as women who undertook a much more costly program involving nutritionists and personal trainers.

This mirrors what we've seen during weight loss challenges: Coworkers become a huge source of motivation. Click through to the full article to read about the doctor's three simple tips for successful weight loss:

• Connect with a weight-loss "buddy"
• Don't get hung up on a specific diet
• Exercise regularly