The Fitwel rating, from the CDC, measures things like access to public transportation and how easy it is for employees to take the stairs—and then suggests how to make your office healthier.
Let’s say two people want to lose weight. One has a job near a bike path and bike parking in his office—which has an inviting light-filled staircase that makes it fun to climb two flights of stairs—and his employer provides healthy snacks. Another works at an office park off the highway, doesn’t move all day, and has the choice between Doritos or Lay's in the vending machine when he wants a quick snack. Who do you think will have an easier time losing pounds? A growing body of research shows that the design of our surroundings strongly influences our health behaviors—and bad design is one reason for America’s obesity crisis.