Workplace Wellness Programs Don't Always Improve Employee Health

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association marks the first large-scale, randomized clinical trial focusing on the causal health effects of workplace wellness programs, reports Modern Healthcare . Although program participants exercise more, actively manage their weight, and have other healthier behaviors than non-participants, the research found they do not have lower body mass index, blood pressure, or cholesterol. Moreover, the programs did not lead to a significant reduction in healthcare spending or use of healthcare services, according to the study. "These findings suggest that employers who may be thinking about investing in workplace wellness programs or people who manage public dollars that might be interested in workplace wellness programs perhaps should temper their expectations of such programs to generate a large return on investment in the short run," said Harvard Medical School Professor Zirui Song.