Overweight people will be paid to lose weight, under radical new Government plans unveiled today to tackle the escalating obesity crisis Under the NHS-backed scheme, those who shed the pounds will be rewarded with cash or shopping vouchers. Incentives could be higher or lower depending on the amount of weight a participant loses, although the amounts are still unclear. However only those with a job will qualify - and employers will also be urged to offer incentives to staff who shed pounds. Firms would receive tax breaks from the Government and would also some funding to set up slimming or exercise classes. The move is part of a wider effort to ease the strain placed on the NHS by fat patients. More than two thirds of UK adults are clinically overweight or obese and the NHS spends £5 billion a year treating obesity-related illnesses. Under the new plans, NHS staff will also be urged to 'set a national example'. Access to unhealthy foods on NHS premises will be cut and staff will have their health and wellbeing 'measured'. Around 700,000 of the NHS's 1.3 million staff are either overweight or obese NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said earlier this year that staff must 'get our own act together' before lecturing the public on cutting down on calories. He said too many hospitals serve 'chips and burgers' to both patients and staff - and the latter face being banned from eating junk food in hospital canteens to force them to set an example to patients. Mr Stevens said workplace schemes to encourage weight loss have been largely ignored - despite success abroad. He personally managed to lose nearly 3st thanks to a weight-loss incentive scheme at his previous job, the U.S.insurance firm United Healthcare. Mr Stevens said the tax-payer funded NHS has led to a 'blind spot' about the healthcare of employees. He explained: 'Employers in many countries have developed voluntary schemes for their employees whereby, for example, you actually get cash back based on participation in Weight Watchers, or other type schemes.' Asked what sorts of rewards could be offered, he said: 'It could be shopping vouchers, it could be cash, it could be prizes.' It is understood the NHS plans to 'challenge' firms to bring in such schemes rather than offer them money. The NHS must also make a concerted effort to address the root causes of ill health - such as poor diets, alcohol consumption and smoking, a landmark report published today said, The weight loss incentive scheme was announced as part of a wider shake-up of the healthcare system in England in the next parliament proposed by NHS bosses. Other measures include tax cuts for volunteers and 'breaking down the boundaries' between GPs and hospitals. The report also includes plans to recruit an army of volunteers to help feed elderly dementia patients in hospital or care for them at home. These members of the public would then get 10 per cent off their annual council tax bill – as much as £200 depending on where they live. It does not yet specify how much voluntary work would need to be done to be entitled to this benefit or the exact tasks entailed.
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為了應(yīng)對日益嚴(yán)重的國民肥胖危機(jī),英國政府近日出臺了一項(xiàng)新的激勵(lì)計(jì)劃,提出肥胖者減肥將得到獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)。 根據(jù)NHS(英國國民健康保險(xiǎn)制度)的這個(gè)方案,那些減重的人將會獲得現(xiàn)金或者購物券。 獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)根據(jù)減多少而有所浮動,盡管減多少尚未明確。 然而,該計(jì)劃僅適用于有工作的人——政府也要求企業(yè)給予減肥員工獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)。 企業(yè)將會獲得政府給予的稅收優(yōu)惠和資金以用于開設(shè)減肥或健身課程。 為減輕肥胖病人帶來的沉重負(fù)擔(dān),NHS做出了巨大的努力,該舉動只是其中的一部分。 在英國,超過2/3的成年人都被臨床診斷為超重,NHS每年花費(fèi)50億英鎊治療與肥胖相關(guān)的各種疾病。 該計(jì)劃要求NHS員工為國民樹立榜樣。 NHS辦公地點(diǎn)將會減少供應(yīng)不健康的食物,員工還將接受身體健康評估。 NHS130萬名員工中約有70萬名超重或者肥胖。 NHS的英國首席執(zhí)行官西蒙·史蒂文斯(Simon Stevens)在今年早些時(shí)候就曾說過,NHS的員工們在教化公眾減少熱量攝入前,必須率先“行動起來”。 他說,許多醫(yī)院都會給患者和員工供應(yīng)“薯?xiàng)l漢堡餐”——而為了給患者樹立榜樣,員工們將被禁止在醫(yī)院食堂吃垃圾食品。 史蒂文斯稱以前在很大程度上都忽視了在工作場所推行減肥激勵(lì)方案的重要性——盡管這在海外已卓有成效。 他自己本人就成功地減掉過近20公斤,這完全得益于他工作的上一家公司,美國一家保險(xiǎn)公司United Healthcare所推行的減肥激勵(lì)方案。 史蒂文斯說,員工的醫(yī)療保健對于由納稅人出資的NHS來說還是一個(gè)“盲區(qū)”。 他解釋道:“許多國家的雇主都已經(jīng)為其員工制定了自愿健康方案,如公司可以報(bào)銷你參加慧儷輕體(Weight Watchers)或其它減肥計(jì)劃的費(fèi)用。 當(dāng)被問到獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)形式都有哪些時(shí),他說道:“可能是購物券,或者現(xiàn)金,也可能是獎(jiǎng)品?!?/p> 這也可以理解為,NHS打算“促使”企業(yè)采用上述方案而不是直接獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)錢。 而NHS也必須齊心協(xié)力解決引發(fā)健康不佳的根源問題——如飲食不良、飲酒、吸煙等,今天發(fā)布的一項(xiàng)里程碑式報(bào)告中這樣寫道。 NHS的管理者將在下一次議會中對英國醫(yī)療保健制度做一次大的整改,而宣布的這一減肥激勵(lì)方案只是其中的一部分。 其它措施還包括為自愿減肥者減稅,以及“打破普通科醫(yī)生與醫(yī)院之間的界限”。 這項(xiàng)報(bào)告還提出了招募志愿者的計(jì)劃,志愿者們將在醫(yī)院幫忙給老年癡呆患者喂飯或者直接上門去照顧他們。 而這些志愿者們將被減免10%的家庭稅——差不多價(jià)值200英鎊(合1963元),具體視她們的居住地而定。 目前還沒有詳細(xì)說明到底志愿者為這一福利需要做多少工作以及具體工作內(nèi)容是什么。 (翻譯:bupt_liaoshan? 編輯:Julie) 掃一掃,關(guān)注微博微信
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