Company Says It’s ‘On Target’ in Battle of the Bulge

As Indiana businesses continue to grapple with issues related to employee obesity, an Indianapolis-based company believes it is gaining traction in addressing a condition that by some measures is costing Hoosier companies more than $11 billion in increased insurance costs and lost productivity. On Target Health Chief Executive Officer Todd Foushee says a recently-announced partnership with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s Wellness Council of Indiana is the latest in a series of developments fueling growth for the Indianapolis-based company. “It’s a call to the community to help join us in addressing one of Indiana’s great crises,” said Foushee, who says his company has doubled revenue in each of its first five years.

Foushee described the On Target Health model with Business of Health Reporter Kylie Veleta on this weekend’s edition of Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick.

According to the Alliance for a Healthier Indiana, an obese employee generates more than $51,000 in medical claims per 100 full-time employees, each year, compared to $7,500 for a healthy weight worker.

The Indianapolis Airport Authority has been an On Target Health customer for about one year.  Senior Director of Human Resources Rachel Hernandez-Stevens says 70 employees enrolled in the program have already lost a combined 350 fatty pounds.  “We’ve got employees who have gone off medications and reversed trends getting into obesity-related medical conditions and so it’s all good for us,” said Hernandez-Stevens.

On Target Health boasts a combined 12,000 pounds of fatty tissue lost by companies and organizations participating it its program.