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A Mintel July 2009 “Healthy Living” report shows a large disparity exists between people’s perceptions of their health and statistics about the health of the American population. Seven out of 10 respondents in the Mintel survey said they are either in good or excellent health.1 Yet research shows nearly half of Americans have a chronic condition, such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease2, and 66 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese3. If these trends continue, one study predicts more than one in four Americans will have two or more chronic conditions by 2025.4 Another study forecasts 86 percent of adults will be overweight or obese by 2030, escalating total health-care costs attributable to obesity/overweight upwards to $956.9 billion annually.5 To bridge the gap between perception and reality, tools such as health risk assessments (HRA) and screenings are imperative. These services provide a critical “reality check” for individuals to learn more about their health. Plus, they serve as starting points to empower employees to accept responsibility for their health—and reduce their risks. HealthFitness has literally hundreds of participant testimonials about the value of our HRA and screening services—and how participating in them helped shift behaviors to healthier choices. A screening participant, for example, this year shared: “At last year’s screening I was 35 pounds heavier. It served as a wake-up call. I have since increased my exercise and improved my diet.” And an employee who annually takes our HRA wrote: "My husband and I are both fairly healthy, young people. We would have never expected that we both had high cholesterol if not for participating in the yearly HRAs. Since we found out, we reduced our intake of fatty, fried foods, increased our intake of fruits and vegetables, and increased the amount of exercise we do in an effort to reduce our cholesterol levels." For all employees, participating in these tools can be made stress-free by collaborating with a trusted partner that delivers organized, accurate screening events and easily accessible HRAs. And to give participants a complete picture of their health status, it helps to have screening data integrated into each employee’s HRA. If you don’t offer screenings and HRAs at your site, I strongly encourage you to talk with your program manager about adding these HealthFitness services. Because if your population isn’t aware of the health risks they face, how can they begin to address them—and how can you measurably begin to improve employee health? Yours in good health,
1 “Healthy Living, July 2009,” Mintel International Group Limited Inside HealthFitness DMAA is an industry association focused on promoting the role of population health improvement in raising the quality of care, improving health outcomes and reducing preventable health care costs. “Our board is made up of influential stakeholders who recognize the importance of emphasizing healthful behaviors and evidence-based care in preventing and managing chronic conditions,” Tracey Moorhead, DMAA president and chief executive officer, said. “We’re delighted to have Gregg, who is such a strong leader in the wellness community, join our board.” DMAA members include wellness, disease and care management organizations, pharmaceutical manufacturers, health information technology innovators, biotechnology innovators, employers, physicians, researchers and academicians.
Help Employees Prevent the Spread of Flu with Flu Prevention Kit The 2009–2010 Flu and You Prevention Kit includes six posters:
• 3 Ways to Fight the Flu: Can You Afford to Be Out Sick? The kit also includes timely brochures to distribute to employees, customers or visitors, and an audio CD: Swine Flu & Other Pandemic Events: Leadership Checklist for Your Employees and Your Business. For information on how to order the kit, contact your program manager. Or, for help with creating a comprehensive pandemic plan to address the potential impact of H1N1 at your company, please contact your regional vice president to learn more about HealthFitness’ consulting services.
Best-in-class Practices and Awards A recent study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that between 2001 and 2006, health care costs for obese adults jumped 82 percent, rising from $167 billion in 2001 to $303 billion in 2006. This was driven by an increase in obese adults from 48 million in 2001 to 59 million in 2006.2 Obesity also has a measurable impact on productivity. Research shows the annual indirect (lost productivity) cost burden associated with obesity is $44 billion.3 To counteract these trends, employers are partnering with employees to help them better manage their weight with HealthFitness’ program, Your Weigh…Together. Your Weigh…Together is a group weight management program that supports individuals in transforming the way they approach weight management. The three-month program includes 10 weekly group sessions, plus pre- and post-program measurements. At Texas Instruments, a Dallas-based technology company, for example, 22 employees completed the program during the January-March 2009 session. Total weight lost among this group was 217.6 pounds, with an average weight loss of 10.25 pounds. Additionally, the group shed 35.71 inches. At a financial company, 10 participants completed the 2009 session, and lost an average of 6.1 pounds. Prior to the program start, 28.6 percent of participants had a high health risk for physical inactivity. After participating, those at risk dropped to 14.3 percent. Plus, 82 percent of participants reported they improved their eating habits. And for employees of SABIC Innovative Plastics, a global supplier of engineering thermoplastics, Your Weigh…Together has helped them lose weight and learn how to keep it off. Art Gordon, ERP Solution architect, lost 30 pounds during the program last winter and says Your Weigh…Together played a critical role in helping him learn about portion sizes and nutrition. “I’ve struggled with weight my entire life,” he said. “I’d lose 10 pounds and gain 12 pounds back. Diets never worked. This was the first program that helped me knock the pounds off and keep them off.” To learn how to offer Your Weigh…Together at your site, contact your program manager.
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed Oct. 5, 2009:
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/effects/index.html
Lockheed Martin Employees Go Green and Get Fit From June 1 through Aug. 7 this year 115 employees enrolled in the free challenge and committed to take the bus, rideshare, bike, walk or run to work this summer. Of this number, 80 people biked to work, an average of 12 to 15 miles each way, and three people walked or ran. In fact, one challenge participant ran six to eight miles to and from work each day. “Employees have told us that the challenge is effective for motivating them to take action and holding them accountable,” HealthFitness Wellness Coordinator Chris Ortiz said. “Especially when gas prices go up, commuting becomes a much more attractive alternative. This program rewards employees for taking that alternative route.” Participants earned points for the number of days they had a car-less commute. At the end of the challenge, the one with the most points received a prize. During the challenge, all participants have the opportunity to earn a reward, which through the years has ranged from toolkits for bikes to yoga mats to sunglasses. HealthFitness wellness coordinators organize and manage the annual challenge through the company’s on-site fitness center as part of a comprehensive approach to inspire employees to be more physically active. And it appears to be working. One participant said the program, in concert with help from the on-site staff, weight training and smart food choices, helped him lose 71 pounds.
Congratulations to L.L. Bean—Winner of 2009 C. Everett Koop National Health Award The Health Project, a nonprofit, private-public consortium, selected L.L.Bean based on documented evidence that its health promotion and disease prevention programs have improved the health of employees while saving money for its organization. HealthFitness helps manage L.L.Bean’s on-site fitness rooms, which offer amenities such as group exercise classes, locker rooms, cardiovascular machines, strength machines, free weights and more.
Gain Industry Recognition for Your Innovative Employee Health Program The Work-Life Innovative Excellence Award showcases programs that demonstrate excellence in enhancing and promoting work-life effectiveness while achieving organization goals. Alliance for Work-Life Progress selects the winners of this award. Alliance for Work-Life Progress is an entity of WorldatWork, a global human resources association. Winners will be publicly recognized at the annual WorldatWork Total Rewards Conference held May 16-19, 2010, in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas. Award recipients will receive complimentary conference registration as well as hotel and airfare. They will also be featured in WorldatWork publications. HealthFitness has helped numerous clients win industry awards for their innovative employee health initiatives.
To learn more about the Work-Life Innovative Excellence Award,
click here. To have HealthFitness pull together a draft of your application, contact your program manager.
Industry Insights
To understand the effects of physical activity on survival as well as other functional or health benefits among the elderly, researchers from the Jerusalem Longitudinal Cohort Study followed 1,861 people born in 1920 and 1921 for 18 years. In the study, participants were asked at ages 70, 78 and 85 how often they were physically active. The answer choices were as follows:
• Less than four hours weekly (classified as sedentary in the study)
Among physically active participants, the eight-year mortality at age 70 was 15.2 percent compared with 27.2 percent among those who were sedentary. At age 78, the eight-year mortality was 26.1 percent for active participants compared with 40.8 percent among the sedentary group; and at age 85, the three-year mortality was 6.8 percent compared with 24.4 percent in the active and sedentary groups, respectively.
Physical activity level was also associated with maintaining independent functional status over time. With increasing age, active participants had an increased likelihood to maintain their ability to perform activities of daily living compared with sedentary participants. The magnitude of this difference between physically active and sedentary participants increased with advancing age.
Source: Stessman J, et al "Physical Activity, Function, and Longevity Among the Very Old"
Arch Intern Med 2009; 169: 1476-1483.
Wellness Provisions in Current Health Care Reform Bills—What They Mean to Employers
Senate Finance Committee Bill
Healthy Americans Act
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) Bill
House Bill
Where We’ll Be Next |
