In a bid to promote a healthy lifestyle, online brokerage startup Zerodha runs a “fun health program” through which employees can earn bonuses by losing weight. But some netizens took umbrage at the suggestion.
In a series of tweets posted on World Health Day on April 7, Zerodha co-founder and CEO Nithin Kamath, himself a fitness enthusiast, said that anyone in the organization with a BMI below 25 will be rewarded with a half bonus. one month’s salary.
Currently, the average BMI of Zerodha employees is 25.3. Challenging his employees, Kamath said that if staff were able to bring the average BMI to less than 24 in August, everyone at Zerodha would be rewarded with another half month’s bonus pay.
Encouraging others to take up the challenge, Kamath tweeted on April 7, “It would be fun to compete against other companies.”
We run a fun health program at @zerodhaonline. Anyone on our team with a BMI <25 receives half a month's salary as a bonus. Our team's average BMI is 25.3 and if we can reach <24 in August, everyone gets another ½ month bonus. It would be fun to compete with other companies 😁 1/3
— Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) April 7, 2022
Expanding on the rules for the challenge, Kamath said the lowest average BMI or the biggest change in average BMI would be announced as the winner.
The winner will be able to choose a charity to which all Zerodha employees will contribute.
“Maybe a health tech company can handle the initiative,” the CEO said.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), body mass index (BMI) is a measure used to classify overweight and obesity in adults. BMI can be calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters (kg/m2).
When the BMI is greater than or equal to 25, the person is identified as being overweight. However, due to risk factors and morbidities, the threshold of overweight is above 23.0 kg/m2 and obesity is above 25.0 kg/m2 for Asians.
In the thread’s last tweet, Kamath said he was aware that BMI isn’t the best metric to track health and fitness, “but it’s the easiest way to start.” .
“With health and most other things in life, the most important thing is to start,” he wrote.
He invited other companies to participate in the “healthy competition” challenge.
For those wishing to regain their health, Kamath said walking 10,000 steps each day could be a good start.
PS: I know BMI isn’t the best metric for tracking health and fitness, but it’s the easiest way to start. With health and most other things in life, the most important thing is to start. By the way, walking 10,000 steps a day is a good start if you want to be healthy 3/3
— Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) April 7, 2022
But, his enthusiasm was not shared by some people on social media.
A Twitter user suggested that Kamath reconsider his decision as it would put pressure on employees and could impact their mental health.
So problematic.
People can have a higher BMI for a variety of health conditions. It does not encourage good health. It’s discriminatory, myopic, offensive. As a cardiovascular disease researcher, let me also say that BMI as a marker of health is almost obsolete now, with many other factors at play. https://t.co/eC7dCy1NOp— Rubina Mulchandani (@Rubina_BigB_EF) April 8, 2022
Stating that a higher BMI could be due to several health factors, one user called Kamaath’s movement “myopic”.
Nitin and his older brother Nikhil founded Zerodha, India’s largest stock brokerage, in 2010.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan/Shoma)
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