It’s easy to connect the cost of some behavioral choices on health. Among the no-brainers? Smoking, overconsumption of alcohol … and the cause-and-effect of not wearing a seatbelt in a serious accident all go without saying.

But what about the extra poundage that two thirds of Americans, and nearly a quarter of Wisconsinites, are now carrying around?

Obesity costs U.S. employers $1.3 million a year and is associated with 39 million days of lost productivity and higher health care costs, including worker’s compensation claims. Obese employees file these claims at twice the rate of healthy weight co-workers.

Many companies have wellness programs in place, with weight management components at the top of their lists, but some do not. And some programs aren’t as effective as employers hope they would be.

Milwaukee is actually home to the oldest weight loss organization in the United States and one of the few supporting medical research through the TOPS Obesity and Metabolic Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Currently, there are 170,000 members of TOPS, and last year they lost a total of 668,509 pounds.

The 63-year-old TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) organization is also the only weight loss organization accepted as a partner with the new Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, a CEO-led, multi-year, national effort designed to help reduce American obesity by 2015.

“We actually have a new program that allows us to work with employers on the weight management component of their wellness programs,” says TOPS Wellness Liaison Maggie Lehnert.

TOPS uses a support chapter concept to motivate, encourage and sustain weight loss in the workplace. Employers have the option of setting up a chapter in the workplace or offering programming through existing community chapters.

“We start each meeting with a confidential weigh in,” explains Lehnert of the weekly meetings. “From there, the meetings revolve around the challenges and successes that chapter members have encountered, and we use the meetings to provide educational materials for members.”

Though each member is weighed individually and has his or her own personal goals (and the opportunity to earn awards for personal weight loss achievements), the meetings are structured in a more cumulative manner, with a focus on the number of members weighing in, total losses, total gains and net loss/gain. Those who eventually achieve their goals become KOPS alumni (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly).

Employers — and individual employees — often contact TOPS after participating in health care surveys at work, such as through an existing wellness program.

“We generally will look at the existing chapters and coordinators in the employer’s area and also see if there is enough interest internally to form a chapter within the company,” says Lehnert, who adds that TOPS chapters exist throughout the entire state of Wisconsin.

If there is strong enough interest, TOPS will work with the employer to start its own chapter.

“Sometimes the employer is actively involved and other times, it can be as simple as providing meeting space for the chapter onsite,” says Lehnert.

A minimum membership of four people is enough to get a group started. Beyond that, chapters need an accurate scale and minimal office supplies.

Individual memberships in TOPS are quite affordable at $26 a year.

“Some of our participating companies do pick up the cost of membership for their employees and some do not,” she says.

Employers also have the option of purchasing membership coupons for interested employees who would prefer to join TOPS chapters in the community.

“A TOPS chapter can provide the critical foundation to a weight-loss program in the workplace,” says Lehnert. “It is an ideal way for employers to promote and encourage a healthier workplace culture.”

More information can be found on TOPS workplace programming at www.tops.org/TOPSInformation/ Wellness.aspx

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By Laurie Arendt

Laurie Arendt is editor of CRW. She can be reached at crweditor@crwmag.com