Monday, February 22, 2016

Wellness App to Improve Nutrition in the Workplace

It’s no surprise that America has entered a health craze. We now see calories on the menu of almost all restaurants and healthy options across the board. So its no surprise that companies are now using the app and website Zipongo. This app is a small digital start up and aims at helping employees navigate the company’s cafeteria to find healthy choices and set health goals outside of the workplace. This is a new revelation of fitness and health being taken into the form of technology.
            The app has made its way into 125 companies so far. Not only can you navigate the company’s cafeteria but it also reaches into your home kitchen offering healthy recipes and shopping lists. I do feel that America has a problem with making the healthy choice and feel that this app is a great way to keep company’s employees on the right track. If they have the ability to look down at their phone (which is already glued to most people’s hands) and see what the healthiest option is, I feel like they will be more inclined to make that healthy choice. This app also costs less than seeing a nutritionist and obtains all the qualities of one. So you’re actually saving money. Companies introducing this app to their employees could also benefit the amount of sick days their employees have. If you’re eating healthy at work and at home from this app then the odds of getting sick reduce greatly. This app allows you to make healthier food choices, tracks physical activity, sleep and your intake of vitamins. Overall I think this app is a great idea and think every company should introduce it to its employees. We need to take initiative to get everyone on a healthier path and I think this is a step that catapults us closer.

            While this sounds like a great idea to companies and people like me, others may argue that it’s unnecessary. Since when is it your employer’s business what you eat? It seems a little personal. Not only could it be a breach into someone private life, but the privacy policy on the app itself is questionable. The policy is very standard but they do disclose that they may share your information with its partners who are not specified. This could make people more hesitant to trust the app fully. If they believe their personal health information will be exposed they won't use it and it will be a waste for the company to pay for it. Another negative is the reality that many employees may not stick with this long term which defeats the purpose of it.
             This entire app seems to improve health at companies that are using it. Although they’re negatives I foresee almost all companies extending this app to their employees in the near future. The features are extremely helpful and can really make a difference if used correctly and long term. Our country has used technology for a plethora of things and using technology to better our health is something I believe is a great idea and companies believe will help their employees. 

Works Cited:
Storm, Stephanie. “Wellness App Aims to Improve Workplace Nutrition.” New York Times. 21 February 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/22/technology/wellness-app-aims-to-improve-workplace-nutrition.html?ref=technology&_r=0


3 comments:

  1. I think this app is a great idea. It encourages people to be healthier and it is very easy to access. I think that this would definitely help the weight problem that America has. Although, at the same time I feel that companies might find this to be offensive. Maybe they don't feel as if they have a weight problem and maybe they do not want their company kitchens to be broken down into what is seen as healthy and what isn't. People have their own versions of healthy, so trying to apply one certain idea of healthy to a company could be a challenge. I do however, think this is a good use of IT in the business place and I believe that many people could be better off if they link health to their own work. I think that this company is on the right track with implementing health into the workplace, but I think they need to be careful to not overstep boundaries. It may also be a challenge for them to get companies to follow through with the idea. And what about the people who bring their own lunch? Why would they even bother to get the app? All things to think about. But overall, not a bad idea from Zipongo. It will be interesting to see if this company can make it big in the workplaces of America.

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  2. It is no surprise that companies are encouraging employees to eat healthier inside and outside the workplace. Everywhere we go we see things about calories and living a healthier lifestyle. If employees are eating healthier then they may be more productive in the workplace and also have to take less time off of work for health related issues. This new app is a very convenient way for people to just look down at their phone and have healthy options and recipes right in front of their face. If their company had not recommended the app, the employees would most likely not have come across the app on their own. I do not think this is offensive to employees because it is only a suggestion and is not requiring that the employees must follow a certain meal plan in order to work at that particular company. If an employee is unhappy with this app suggestion then they should be able to just eat as they choose. Overall I think this app is a great idea and could improve the overall productivity within a company. If you see one of your coworkers eating healthy that may prompt you to eat healthier as well. This trend could spread throughout the workplace and become a positive way of thinking.

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  3. I think that apps like this are a great tool to have available to employees. A lot of people don't realize how many calories, grams of sugar, fat, etc. are in the food they consume. Many cafeteria's, you can order something thinking it is a healthy option, but it may actually be more processed and less healthy than it appears. Having an app to help steer health conscious individuals in the right direction is not offensive or an invasion of privacy to employees, its is merely a nice tool to have if one chooses to use it. This app doesn't have to only be aimed at people who have a weight problem, its also can be used for those who just want to make sure that they are making good choices when eating at work.

    The flaw I see with this app, is that there are many similar apps outs there that can track nutrition, so why should a company implement this one when its employees can just individual download other apps? I know people who have used my fitness pal which is a free app that allows users to input what they ate to track their nutrition along as inputting their work outs. There are many other similar apps out there, each with its own features. If individuals who would use Zipongo, download their own individual app they will be able to see which apps have different features and pick on that best meets their needs. The one thing Zipongo has for employees over other apps, is the integration with the company kitchen. In another app, users would be entering estimates for how much they consumed, while Zipongo's connection to the company kitchen would make it easy to know exactly how many calories, grams of protein, fat, etc. were in the meal from the company cafeteria.

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