Bodyweight, insurance, and where we are headed

[Technick]

Hello,
My name is Nick, and I have some concerns (none that you will be able to fix). I have a worked full-time in healthcare for the last 10 years, I have a wife and 4 kids. I have made the CONSCIOUS decision to gain weight as I am interested in strength training. I am 33 years old, have no real reason to lift other than I have always wanted to be strong. I am 6 feet tall and have pushed my weight up to 240lbs, my best recent effort on the back squat was 305x5.
I work at a hospital that offers benefits to employees (I am thankful for this), but I have recently encountered a problem. We (employees) are now required to complete health screenings (blood work, height, weight, etc)to be elegible for benefits/insurance. Well as you can probably guess, my report says that I'm OBESE and that my diet is unhealthy because I eat so much protein and not enough grains. I am chubby, but I'm okay with that because my focus is strength. Here is the problem: due to my bodyweight, I will not be elegible for certian benefits unless I meet with a bodyweight coach, and come up with a plan to loose weight! I have to have scheduled visits with this coach throughout the year to ensure that I'm meeting my goals.
As I said before, I have a family who depend on me to provide these benefits. No one pays me to lift, so I guess I'll have to play the game. Just frusterated, and I thought you may find this situation interesting. I'm sure this sort of thing will be coming for many, as insurance companies and governments are trying to limit spending. Thanks for listening and thanks for the information you provide.
-Nick

[Mark Rippetoe]

I guess you're going to have to tighten up your diet. This situation is encountered in the military every day. The following comments will help, I'm sure.

[bma_mat]

Honestly, I'd say you just have to have a stricter diet and drop some bodyfat. ALTHOUGH, noone says you have to listen to a word of what this weightloss coach tells you, if you don't feel like it. If what he tells you sounds like bullshit, well just keep eating your proteins, and lie about your diet. They won't be posting someone in your kitchen will they?

[blandrick]

Do something like Crossfit Football maybe, where there's other work in addition to the strength work? I really don't know. I mostly just wanted to mention how fucking asinine that shit is. What kind of benefits do you lose by eating "unhealthy" and being "obese"?

[Technick]

You are right about the military, didn't consider their restrictions and I'm sure they progress well. It will be fine, I think my rant was just as much about where insurance is headed, and how I loathe jumping through hoops. I'll get over it.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Insurance is headed there is the government ends up running it/paying for it with tax money, like they want to.

[Bryan Dobson]

I have similar workplace health insurance. We have a "stay well" program that requires us to participate in counseling, take some pop culture health and nutrition classes and do the annual physicals, biometric measurements, blood lipids etc.

Like the op I purposely gained weight. I am 41 6' and have put on 20 pounds to 206. We do not have to attain the goals set forth, we have to simply participate in the program. I take the classes get my physicals and go about my own program.

[Barry Charles]

In sympathy, I work for the government and I am an emergency responder. As such, I get an annual physical and I get the annual you are obese lecture. In reality I'm 5ft 9in and 200lbs, 15%-18% BF, 50yrs old. No footnotes or exceptions on my chart. The table says obese....and thats that. I also get shit for calluses. Are they worried I'm secretly doing Union work?

Just remember this: The difference between God and a Doctor is that God doesn't think he is a Doctor.

[gjsuicide]

At least now the OP has a right to deny his benefits at his will without penalty, other than losing said benefits. He can still pay more and keep doing what he wants to regarding his diet and weight. If it means that much to you OP, you will have to prioritize, lose the weight and get the benefits, or don't and budget elsewhere to make up for your rise in healthcare costs. You still have that freedom, for now.

[Michael Loucas]

I work as tech support at a payroll company. The way it works here is the biometric screening is optional. (blood work, height weight etc). If we decide to complete it though, we get $240 off our 2013 medical plan (total for the year). They also make it optional to meet with the health coach, it is not required. They also give you a $100 American Express giftcard if you take the screening and do at least 4 coaching sessions over the phone.

Weighing about 230 at 5'11 my BMI says I'm obese, even though my blood work came back decent. They don't take my 425 squat or 505 deadlift into account unfortunately

The good thing about it though is it is optional, and they make incentives to lose weight, rather than punish you.