It's 6 p.m. and you still have tons of e-mail to answer. You find yourself grabbing a bag of chips from the office vending machine and settling in for another hour or two -- again.

Is there any wonder half of America's employees haven't exercised in the past 30 days and obesity levels are climbing?

In the midst of the most vigorous national healthcare debate in 15 years, the link between our work life and our weight is intensifying. Two-thirds of the U.S. workforce is overweight.

The economic crisis has exacerbated the obesity epidemic: Workers are putting in longer hours, afraid of losing their jobs. With less time to exercise, more than a third of employees report that work drains them of energy, leaving nothing for their personal lives.

At the same time, pay cuts and rising food prices, particularly for more nutritious foods, are making fast food and vending machines a quick and cheaper option during a lunch break.

``There's a big relationship between our health and the kind of environment we work in,'' says Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute, which released a report Tuesday on the State of Health of the American Workforce.

The question is how do we get employers to care, particularly when many businesses are fighting for survival.

For the most part, employers now realize that workers' health and well being affects their bottom line in lost productivity and higher insurance premiums. Obesity is associated with a 36 percent increase in spending on healthcare services. Recognizing this, about 40 percent of U.S. companies have implemented obesity-reduction programs. Yet, more often employers and insurers are balking at picking up the tab for gastric bypass surgery to treat obesity, which typically costs between $25,000 and $40,000.

Even with more companies offering wellness programs, something is going wrong. The Families and Work Institute report shows a significant decline in the number of employees who say their overall health is excellent. In a teleconference this week, Cali Yost, author of the Work/Life Fit blog asked: ``How do we move wellness or rebrand it away from having an on-site gym?''

One boss thinks it takes bold thinking. When Alison Austin was closing in on 50, she decided to wage war on her personal weight issue by pushing her employees into healthy lifestyles.

Austin, CEO of Belafonte TACOLCY Center, a 40 year-old social service agency in Liberty City, says she started by holding a mandatory staff meeting and bringing in a nutritionist. She then banned doughnuts, soda and sugary items from the office, even replacing the coffee machine with herbal teas. ``We became each other's conscience,'' she says of her 21 staff members.

Austin also was able to tap grant money for a personal trainer who encouraged staff to walk on their lunch breaks in the nearby park. ``Consistency happened,'' Austin explains. Three years later, she says the entire workplace culture has changed. ``I really do believe employers have huge opportunity, if not a responsibility to have an impact.''

Ask a worker why they haven't exercised and the answer almost is automatic: I don't have time. It's the reason why more Americans desperately are turning to diet pills. It also is the answer Fort Lauderdale attorney Gregory Ward gave for being overweight until his sister died three years ago. Ward, now a fitness instructor in the evening, says it is challenging to get employers to care and understand employees need to make exercise a habit. ``As a formerly obese person, I think some employers don't understand how difficult it is.''

Fortunately, there are some bosses who do back flips to create a culture where obesity is discouraged. ``You can't look at it as responsibility, it needs to be done because outcome is greater than not doing it,'' says Dianna Sheppard, CEO Of Advantec, a national provider of human resources outsourcing.

Sheppard became inspired to make changes after seeing an abundance of fast food in her lunchroom. She cleared out the vending machines and stocked the lunchroom shelves with fruit and nuts. She brought in Weight Watchers and offered Zumba exercise classes in the office two nights a week, two low-cost programs. She says the candy jars are disappearing and smoothies are the new afternoon snack break.

Sheppard is convinced she's doing her part to help the nation's obesity epidemic: ``It perpetuates itself, not only to workers but to their children and spouses.''

Send your comments and ideas to Cindy Krischer Goodman at cgoodman @MiamiHerald.com.

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