Most of these comments have been left without looking deeper into the strategy here.

The fact is, Whole Foods' health insurance isn't anything to be too proud of. And their CEO, John Mackey, strongly opposes a single payer health insurance system. Not very progressive, for such a "progressive" food market. And all the more reason to believe that Mackey's "pro-health" push for employees is more about his corporation's self-interest and less about any altruistic belief in the well-being of his workers. All he wants is to get his UnitedHealthCare utilization (and, therefore, cost) down.

Whole Foods does SOME things that are for the betterment of our country. Organic food, a more holistic health-focus, etc. But they are still a Big Box store, and NOT local. On top of that, they have misled their consumers by advertising their certified organic products, while moving slowly AWAY from organics and putting the "natural" labels on the shelf. Again, this is about making money, not providing a purely sustainable solution for consumers. (And being "consumers" is the problem. We should be our own PRODUCERS of food.)

This whole thing comes down to the profit motive and saving health insurance premium expenses. This is NOT a public service announcement.

Yeah, and you can likely youtube it or read blogs and not even buy a single recipe book anymore ;-)

I have just read all of the new posts and I have to quickly reply to one of the issues concerning the Whole Foods Rewards Workers who lose weight.

Since there have been many other things having to do with this subject such as nutrition, prices for junk foods verses healthy foods etc. I have veered off my main point and concern. That is the issue of discrimination, period.

I would be just as adverse to discrimination against the healthy and fit if the reverse came to pass, and that would be the program to give the obese the additional discount,for whatever reason. It doesn't matter what the reason is for discriminating against any group of people, it doesn't matter what the end result would be. Discrimination is discrimination.

I am certain that it would be of benefit for McDonald's to give a discount to their obese employees and not to their fit and lean ones to give more incentive to their employees to buy more of their hamburgers. I would be just as adamant as I am being now that the practice would be wrong of them to be discriminating against the healthy employees.

Regardless of the businesses intentions, like I said discrimination is discrimination regardless of the end goal.

Ertarox, you have addressed so many subjects that we share an interest in, and I admire anyone who is concerned with social issues, such as the raping of our forests and lands to provide acreage for livestock, and how it affects our environment, about human and animal rights etc. Since I would love to address these issues and discuss them with you it will take time for me to go over what you have written, and when I have some more time to post some replies to you concerning them.

And thank you also for your insight and thoughtfulness on important subjects like these.

Until then, have a nice weekend!