Wellness Programming For Small To Large Companies

What Is The Cost Of Obesity To Your Organization? – http://www.cdc.gov/leanworks/index.html

In 2000, the total cost (direct and indirect) attributable to obesity in the US was estimated to be $117 billion, and between 1987 and 2001, diseases associated with obesity accounted for 27% of the increases in medical costs. Medical expenses for obese employees are estimated to be between 29 percent and 117 percent greater than medical expenses for employees with a healthy weight.

“CDC’s LEAN Works! Leading Employees to Activity and Nutrition” is a FREE web-based resource that offers interactive tools and evidence-based resources to design effective worksite obesity prevention and control programs, including an obesity cost calculator to estimate how much obesity is costing your company and how much savings your company could reap with different workplace interventions.

Counting Calories At Work
When menus and menu boards at job-site cafeterias are labeled with calorie and nutrition information, workers will likely select healthier food and snack options, reports the University of California at Berkley’s Center for Weight and Health. Researchers examined patrons’ lunchtime purchases before and after the cafeterias instituted menu labeling. The study involved one of three menu labeling scenarios: calorie labeling on menu boards and placards at the point of purchase, a wall poster with both calorie and detailed nutrition information and no information.

This research showed that posting calorie counts changes patron food selections. Based on the changes observed on patrons’ lunch choices, and the frequency with which patrons go to the cafeteria over the course of a week, this kind of intervention could prevent up to five pounds of unwanted weight gain per year, provided people don’t compensate by eating more calories at other meals, or in other settings.
Courage – Workplace Support for Employees Coping with End-Stage Cancer
This is an excellent article – http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=g9pldadab.0.0.dgyslgcab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.benefitscanada.com%2Fpdfs%2Fcouragecancer_booklet_e_0809.pdf&id=previewThe reality is that most employees don’t take the time to learn what their coverage is for a life-threatening illness until they are forced to deal with the situation. This is understandable, but there are some steps employers can take to help educate their employees.
In The News – Wellness Statistics You Can Use

According to a survey by Wellness Program Management Advisor (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=g9pldadab.0.0.dgyslgcab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellnessjunction.com%2F&id=preview), stress management is one of the most requested services of worksite health promotion programs. Employees who feel better about their ability to manage stress levels are more likely to participate in other wellness programs. According to respondents of this survey, these are the most popular services included in their worksite wellness programs:

95% Stress management
94% Blood pressure
93% Weight control
91% General fitness
89% Health screening
87% Nutrition
80% Smoking cessation
77% Health risk assessments
69% Disease management (chief concerns – diabetes, obesity, glaucoma, chronic pain)
61% Health education
54% EAP
49% On-site fitness
40% Health Club subsidies
39% Prenatal care
Our 2009 Comprehensive Workplace Wellness Survey also found that stress was identified as an issue for many (45%) or some (42%) within their company yet only 50% were offering stress management workshops.

To view a Stress Management workshop that may be right for your team – visit https://worksmartlivesmart.com/stress-and-wellness-workshops-and-presentations/

Alternative Benefits Can Alleviate Stress
Offering alternative benefits can help alleviate workplace stress and violence says a 2009 report from the University of Michigan that examined the Fortune magazine’s list of best companies to work for. They found that these organizations had significantly lower employee turnover and their average cost savings as a group was about $275 million in 2007. Among the benefit offerings cited in support of their research: flextime; telecommuting; employer-paid health care premiums’ subsidized health care classes and health club memberships; on-site fitness centers and medical and dental clinics; paid leave and special services for new parent employees; laundry and dry-cleaning services, valet parking and grocery delivery; and discounted tickets to after-hours social activities such as movies, plays, museums, sporting events and amusement parks.

Questions:

• Is obesity an issue your company?
• Do you offer a nutrition program through your cafeteria?
• Have you educated your employees on stress management strategies?
• Have you discussed the issue of cancer and your benefits, policies and supports with your employees?

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