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According to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal, some firms are making it possible for employees to get tested for genetic markers linked to risks of altered metabolism, obesity, and variations in eating behavior. This is a good thing, right? Well, yes and no.
The upside, of course, is that if you know you have an increased risk of obesity, for example, then that knowledge might motivate you to work a little harder to improve your exercise and eating habits.
But is there a downside to this sort of testing? Well, there might be — depending on how the information is handled. Does the employer have access to the employees’ information? Could there be discrimination based on a person’s propensity for obesity, for example? And would the employee have access to assistance in dealing with his or her information? For example, a person who is told that he or she has markers making them more prone to obesity, might become depressed at the knowledge and do little to affect their risk.
Read full, original post: Pros & Cons of Workers Getting Gene Tests
