Weight Loss Is Employees’ Top New Year’s Resolution
Source: https://www.compsych.com
Thirty-nine percent of employees say losing weight is their top health concern while 26 percent say stress has them most worried, according to a ComPsych Tell It Now poll released today. ComPsych is the world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs and is the pioneer and leading provider of fully integrated EAP, behavioral health, wellness, work-life, HR and FMLA administration services under the GuidanceResources brand.
“Weight loss is, not surprisingly, the number one health concern this year,” said Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, Chairman and CEO of ComPsych. “What is significant is that many more employees are aware of stress as a major contributor to health problems. Corporate wellness programs that address both physical and emotional health are uniquely suited to help employees make lasting lifestyle changes, which will ultimately reduce health and disability costs while improving productivity.”
Employees were asked: Which health issue are you most trying to stay ahead of this year?
39 percent said “weight loss”
26 percent said “stress”
17 percent said “exercise”
9 percent said “diet improvement”
6 percent said “quitting smoking”
3 percent said “other”
ComPsych’s build-to-suit health and wellness program – HealthyGuidance® -- targets employee behavior and lifestyle issues before they become significant health risks. Drawing upon more than 25 years of behavioral health experience, HealthyGuidance uses a consultative, high-touch approach, empowering employees to make healthy lifestyle changes through expert guidance. The program offers:
• Comprehensive health risk assessments and screenings
• Live, telephonic wellness coaching with behavioral, health and nutrition experts
• Online health management tools including diet and exercise programs and incentive tracking
• Action-oriented wellness seminars, turn-key wellness challenges and award-winning communications
• Targeted programs such as tobacco cessation, weight management, stress reduction and more
We are too fat! Now what??
BY JENNY IVY
May 14, 2012 •
Source: Benefitspro
The nation's obesity epidemic is literally too big to ignore. And now the most respected names in medicine are hoping to galvanize citizens and employers to confront the problem.
Tonight, HBO will premiere "The Weight of the Nation," a four-part documentary series that examines the risks and consequences of obesity—everything from childhood prevention to community involvement.
The impact is certainly not out of reach for employers and HR professionals. They know obesity impacts business. Companies lose $4.3 billion annually due to obesity-related absenteeism, according to the Institute of Medicine. And for firms with offices around the country, it's obvious the costliest health plan claims are coming out of places in which obesity - and poverty - is rampant. [See 10 fattest states in America]
As a nation, we know it's a problem. We've already been told we're too fat. But why, after decades of increasing waistlines, would we expect a national campaign to suddenly change things?
It probably won't. But, in speaking with a Kaiser Permanente spokesperson just today, it seems the medical organizations and experts behind the documentary understand that. "This is only the beginning," she said. Campaign collaborators, including Kaiser, are hoping to start a movement, not just increase awareness.
With that said, as an employer or benefits manager, it wouldn't be a bad idea to check out the free resources available through this campaign. After all, this isn't just another wellness program promo. These are established research institutions that are serving up more innovative tools to get Americans to at least think about how to become healthier.
"We're going to have to think our way out of this in creative ways," Executive Producer John Hoffman told NPR on Friday. "We have got to really renovate tremendous aspects of our culture, and it's going to take a tremendous amount of invention and tremendous amount of intervention to really re-engineer our lives."
If you don't have HBO, don't worry. The movies aren't restricted to the cable network. Filmmakers are allowing the series to be broadcast on the campaign's website at https://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/.