Poll:
Should state workers be asked about their waist size?
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon state workers will continue to be questioned about their waist size.
An online wellness questionnaire asks employees to measure and report their waist circumference, which can be an indicator of a person's risk for some chronic illnesses.
Many workers found the question offensive, so directors of the Public Employees' Benefit Board explored the possibility of having it removed.
The Statesman Journal newspaper reports that the board was told Tuesday that its health insurance providers cannot swap out the waist question, as it is part of their standard, nationally used health surveys.
Workers, however, will be given a choice. If they don't want to measure their waist circumference, they will be allowed to instead report their Body Mass Index.
