What's Wrong With Whole Foods' Discount Plan?

In case you haven’t heard, Whole Foods is going to give bigger discounts to non-smoking employees who have low cholesterol, normal blood pressure, and healthy weights. The plan is meant to reduce healthcare costs and give employees an incentive to make healthy choices, but some feel that it discriminates against fat people. (The full details are in my Care2 blog: http://www.care2.com/causes/health-policy/blog/whole-foods-new-health-incentive-causes-controversy/).

I don’t see it that way at all. I mean, maybe if they totally took away the discounts for heavier people, or fired them, there would be a reason for people to complain, but heavy-set employees will still get the same discount that the store already offered. And it’s not as if the voluntary new plan specifically singles out fat people. You can be lean and still have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and smoking and girth are separate issues.

Frankly, I think some people are getting all bent out of shape about nothing. Genetics may play some role in health matters, but, on the whole, people need to stop playing the victim of their DNA and starting taking responsibility for their personal choices.

Why shouldn’t a Whole Foods’ worker who chooses not to smoke be eligible for a bigger discount than a Whole Foods worker who chooses to smoke? The goal, as I understand it, isn’t to shame people, but rather to cut  healthcare costs and encourage employees to make healthy choices. What’s so wrong with that?

Is it just me, or does anyone else think Whole Foods’ new discount plan is a good idea?