Shaping up (the balance sheet)

The Cranky Economist recently had a Cranky Birthday, which led to an influx of Cranky Monetary Birthday Gifts from some quarters of the Cranky Family. A portion of which, I am happy to report, will have to go towards the purchase of new Cranky Pants, since a new fitness regimen (well, actually, just forcing myself to go to the gym more often) has led to a reduction in the Cranky Waistline over the past two months. And being in shape is doing wonders for my tennis game, as evidenced by last night's victory over one of the Cranky Roommates.

For me, the decision to turn off the TV and head to the gym was fueled by several factors. I found I was too tired and too stressed too much of the time. There are only so many Law & order reruns that any man can watch on TNT, so I was running out of things to do with my evenings. And going to the gym seemed like a more amenable Lenten discipline than fasting.

Which isn't to say that I'm any better in the health and fitness department than anyone else -- far from it. I think my story is just an example of how many factors can drive people to take an interest in shaping up. Which suggests that there may be many possible solutions to America's pressing obesity problem, and the concomitant health concerns -- and expenditures -- that go with it.

All of which comes to mind after reading this article about GM's efforts to reduce healthcare expenditures by encouraging healthier lifestyles (a WSJ article, so unfortunately it's subscription-only). The company believes that treatments for obesity-related ailments such as high cholesterol and diabetes are costing it hundreds of millions of dollars a year, so it is slowly trying to find ways to encourage workers to live in healthier ways.

How is it doing so? Through highly localized tactics. Sure, it has been building gyms in its plants, and has rolled out a series of healthy living courses across the company. But the article describes how, in one plant where deer hunting is especially popular among the workers, the company rolled out a series of fitness classes geared towards teaching people how to shape up for hunting season, and distributed healthy venison recipes.

Which is worth considering at a time when health experts are clamoring for the government to "do something" about America's bad health. Although it's early days yet for GM's efforts, and it's still possible they won't be entirely successful, I suspect that these programs have a better shot at changing behavior than any government program would. It's because private-sector companies like GM are best positioned to respond nimbly to localized needs. Meanwhile, the American system of private health insurance provision gives those companies strong incentives to encourage better health habits. Which is why GM, in its time of financial near-crisis, is turning its attention to healthy living.

Food for thought.