TY - JOUR

T1 - Employees' experiences of participating in a workplace-supported weight management service: a qualitative inquiry

AU - Staniford, Leanne Jane

AU - Radley, Duncan

AU - Gately, Paul

AU - Blackshaw, Jamie

AU - Thompson, Lisa

AU - Coulton, Vickie

PY - 2020/3/25

Y1 - 2020/3/25

N2 - Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore public health employees’ experiences of participating in acommercial weight management programme supported by their employers over a 12-week period.Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 employees who hadparticipated in the programme (group-based or online).Findings – The main motivators for enquiring about and attending the programme were: the offer to attendthe programme free of charge, the opportunity to kick start their weight loss efforts, to take part in an academicresearch study and the opportunity for “shared experiences” with their colleagues.Research limitations/implications – This study did not allow us to explore the reasons why someemployees opted not to take up the opportunity for weight management support through their workplace.Further qualitative research with non-engagers would allow us to inquire about why employees might notengage with WM support and offer alternative strategies.Practical implications – Employers should facilitate their employees’ efforts to lead a healthier lifestyle inthe long-term creating employer health and safety policies that actively encourage healthy living and weightmanagement. Improving employee health can contribute to increasing productivity, reducing stress and absenteeism.Originality/value – This paper presents a novel approach to facilitating employees’ weight management.Employees perceived their employer-supported participation in a commercial weight management programmeoutside of their work setting as a positive experience that assisted their weight management efforts suggestingthe acceptability and feasibility of this approach to addressing weight in the workplace

AB - Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore public health employees’ experiences of participating in acommercial weight management programme supported by their employers over a 12-week period.Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 employees who hadparticipated in the programme (group-based or online).Findings – The main motivators for enquiring about and attending the programme were: the offer to attendthe programme free of charge, the opportunity to kick start their weight loss efforts, to take part in an academicresearch study and the opportunity for “shared experiences” with their colleagues.Research limitations/implications – This study did not allow us to explore the reasons why someemployees opted not to take up the opportunity for weight management support through their workplace.Further qualitative research with non-engagers would allow us to inquire about why employees might notengage with WM support and offer alternative strategies.Practical implications – Employers should facilitate their employees’ efforts to lead a healthier lifestyle inthe long-term creating employer health and safety policies that actively encourage healthy living and weightmanagement. Improving employee health can contribute to increasing productivity, reducing stress and absenteeism.Originality/value – This paper presents a novel approach to facilitating employees’ weight management.Employees perceived their employer-supported participation in a commercial weight management programmeoutside of their work setting as a positive experience that assisted their weight management efforts suggestingthe acceptability and feasibility of this approach to addressing weight in the workplace

UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-04-2019-0050

U2 - 10.1108/IJWHM-04-2019-0050

DO - 10.1108/IJWHM-04-2019-0050

M3 - Journal article

VL - 13

SP - 203

EP - 221

JO - International Journal of Workplace Health Management

JF - International Journal of Workplace Health Management

SN - 1753-8351

IS - 2

ER -