Quick Results Fuel Weight Loss

If you’re like most Americans, instant (or at least imminent) gratification is what you’ve come to expect.

You don’t even have to wait through commercials to get back to your favorite TV show anymore; DVRs allow you to watch on your own schedule and fast-forward through the boring stuff.

But weight loss is another story.

Time and time again you hear that long-term results come only from long-term efforts.

You have to make lifestyle changes, gradually increasing your daily physical activity and decreasing your caloric intake to achieve a daily calorie deficit.

You have to prioritize exercise and redefine the way you think about food.

And even if you do all those things, you should only expect to shed about 2 pounds per week, according to Medline Plus.

In other words, it takes time to lose weight the right way.

Many corporate wellness programs focus on the long-term effects of obesity.

Attempting to sway employees by pointing to the disastrous effects of poor health, these programs go straight to the scary facts: Obesity can lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, cancer, and even death.

While those things are true, they’re not necessarily the best way to motivate people to lose weight, according to new research.

This research indicates that people are more likely to commit to losing weight and getting healthy when they’re aiming for the more-immediate health benefits, such as pain relief.

Pain relief was noted in the study even after participants had lost just a small amount of weight.

This factor may be give obese people the motivation they needed to keep losing weight.

While you’re likely concerned with making your employees as comfortable as possible, addressing ergonomic concerns and doing your best to keep everyone in prime working condition, there’s only so much you can do.

The best way for your employees to feel better and therefore work better is for them to commit to losing weight.

Focus on the feeling-better aspect, which they will probably start to notice very soon after starting a weight loss regimen.

If it’s enough to inspire them to take their efforts a step further, they’ll quite possibly add (more comfortable) years to their life and reduce their risk for serious health problems.

And, as far as your business is concerned, they will gain the energy and drive to give you their top performance.