Be Active. Be Healthy. Work Well. A look at corporate wellness programs

1
Be Active. Be Healthy. Work Well.A look at
corporate wellness programs

• Presented by
• Sue Parks
• Founder and CEO, WalkStyles Inc.

2
Introduction Sue Parks

• Avid walker turned entrepreneur
• Dedicated to 10,000 steps a day
• Founder and CEO of WalkStyles, Inc.
• Products and services to improve your life
  through walking
  
• Began corporate wellness programs in January 2006

3
Introduction Todays Presentation

• Purpose
• Learn how corporate wellness programs can improve
  your companys productivity
  
• Process
• Well examine statistics, share ideas and offer
  suggestions for your own company
  
• Payoff
• Leave with knowledge on how to start a wellness
  program for your employees

4
Introduction Todays Objectives

• Realize the impact of employee inactivity on your
  companys bottom line
  
• Learn how to develop and implement a corporate
  wellness program within your company
  
• Gain several tips on how to squeeze more activity
  into your busy days

5
The Problems Obesity and Inactivity

• Overweight and inactive employees cost US
  companies 12 BILLION per year in medical bills,
  injuries and lost productivity
  
• Obesity outranks both smoking and drinking in
  increased health costs
  
• Source Washington Business Group on Health
• 70 of all illnesses are due to lifestyle-related
  causes including obesity and inactivity
  
• Source CDC US Department of Health and Human
  Services

6
Disease States Associated with Overweight and
Obesity

• Hypertension
• Type 2 diabetes
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Gallbladder disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon)

7
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1985
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
8
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1986
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
9
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1987
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
10
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1988
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
11
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1989
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
12
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1990
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
13
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1991
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
14
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1992
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
15
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1993
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
16
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1994
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
17
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1995
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
18
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1996
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
19
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1997
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
20
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1998
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
21
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1999
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
22
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2000
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
23
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2001
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data 2024 25
24
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2002
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
(BMI ?30, or 30 lbs overweight for 54 person)
No Data 2024 25
25
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2003
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data 2024 25
26
Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2004
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data 2024 25
27
(No Transcript)
28
How Did This Happen?

• Marketing of food products
• Low fat
• Low carb
• Low cholesterol
• Serving sizes have increased
• 20 years ago, a bagel was 3 in diameter with 140
  calories
  
• Today, bagels have a 6 diameter and 210
  calories
  
• Super-size, Extra Value menus
• Yo-yo dieting
• Sedentary lifestyles

29
Sedentary Lifestyles

• The average American takes between 2300 and 3000
  steps daily compared to a healthy goal of 10,000
  steps
  
• Source Novartis Nutrition
• Researchers measured the steps of 98 Amish
  adults with pedometers and found men took an
  average of 18,425 steps a day, and women took
  14,196. Compare that to about 4,000 steps for
  the average American adult, and it is easy to see
  why only 4 of Amish adults are obese, versus 31
  of the general population.
• Source Cooking Light, 7/04

30
Spa Professionals Added Stress

• In addition to weight and inactivity issues, spa
  professionals work in a high-stress environment
  
• Focus is on making client relaxed not you
• Tired, drained at end of the day
• No time/energy for fitness routine

31
The Solution Corporate Wellness Programs

• Various forms of corporate wellness programs
• Health screenings
• On-site fitness centers, fitness staff
• Fitness contests and incentives
• Personal life coaches
• On-site nurses
• Internet checkup tools
• Spa programs including massage and therapy

32
Whos Offering Corporate Wellness?

• A number of US corporations including Ford,
  General Mills and IBM formed the Institute on the
  Costs and Health Effects of Obesity to address
  the growing epidemic
• Source Forbes.com
• PepsiCo
• Sears
• Pitney Bowes

33
The Benefits

• Companies have earned returns as much as 300
  percent on investments encouraging healthy living
  in the workplace
  
• Source CFO.com
• Upbeat, energetic employees
• Less absenteeism
• Offer a more healthy, relaxed environment to your
  clients

34
Corporate Wellness Spending

• A study by Brigham Young University found that
  for every dollar spent on health promotions in
  the workplace, 16 is saved through less
  absenteeism.
• Source Medical News Today, 3/05
• The Health Research Institute found that
  companies with an employee fitness plan cut their
  health care costs by 27
  
• Source Orange County Business Journal, 12/04

35
5 Reasons to Consider Corporate Wellness

• Health care costs continue to rise
• More than one trillion dollars is spent on health
  care in the US
  
• Annual health care costs for each employee is
  more than 3,000/year
  
• Most illnesses are avoidable
• Sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrition, smoking and
  alcohol account for the majority of illnesses
  

36
5 Reasons to Consider Corporate Wellness(cont.)

• The work week is getting longer
• The typical employee works 47 hours a week
• Technology is introducing new health concerns
• Employee stress levels are high
• 78 of Americans describe their jobs as
  stressful
  
• Source Orange County Business Journal, 12/05

37
Discussion

• Do any of you currently have a corporate wellness
  program in place?
  
• What have you done to express the importance of
  health and wellness to your employees?
  
• What incentives do you offer employees for being
  active?

38
Bring Wellness to Your Employees

• Large-scale efforts
• Hire a personal coach, nutritionist, fitness
  instructor, etc. to education your employees
  
• Utilize an outside companys corporate wellness
  package
  
• Offer medical flex-plan incentives in cooperation
  with your insurance provider
  
• Build on-site facilities including a healthy
  cafeteria and gym
  

39
Bringing Wellness to Your Employees

• Smaller-scale efforts
• Host themed awareness months concentrating on
  various health topics
  
• Nutrition
• Strength training
• Pilates
• Yoga
• Medical screening
• Stress management

40
Bringing Wellness to Your Employees

• Smaller-scale efforts
• Be sure that foods offered in your company are
  clearly labeled with nutritional information
  
• Organize group walks, runs, yoga or stretching
  sessions each morning or afternoon
  
• Offer small financial incentives to employees who
  complete an exercise or nutrition plan
  
• Introduce the benefits of walking to your
  employees and offer pedometers

41
Example Program

• Perfect Day Spas
• Walking to Wellness Program
• January April 2007
• Educate employees on health benefits of walking
• Hand out pedometers and walk logs
• Host walks before or after work 2 3 times per
  week
  
• Offer prizes and incentives for employees who
  walk 10,000 steps a day

42
Health Benefits of Walking

• Walking for one hour a day has been shown to
  decrease your chance of the following diseases
  
• Heart disease by 30 40
• Stroke
• Breast cancer by 20
• Diabetes by 50
• Colon cancer
• www.about.com

43
Health Benefits of Walking

• Set a goal for yourself of 10,000 steps a day
• A University of Tennessee in Knoxville study
  with pedometers revealed women who averaged more
  than 10,000 steps a day had 40 less body fat and
  waist and him measurements that were four to six
  inches narrower than those who averaged fewer
  than 6,000 steps.
• Los Angeles Times, May 17, 2004

44
Wear a Pedometer or Fitness Monitor

• Pedometers have been proved to encourage you to
  walk 3,000 or more additional steps a day
  
• Heres what 3,000 more steps a day for 3 months
  can mean
  
• 3.3 lbs. lost
• 0.6 reduction in BMI
• 1 cm drop in waist circumference
• 11,550 extra calories burned
• 4 beat-per-min drop in resting heart rate

45
Getting More Steps in Your Day

• Keep an extra pair of walking shoes in your car
  or at work
  
• Arrive at work early or stay late to walk the
  halls or outside
  
• Park at the farthest (but safe) spot at the
  grocery store, drugstore, work
  
• Take the stairs
• Stuck at the aiport? Grab a luggage cart and
  walk the terminals
  
• Walk with your family at the end of the day

46
Offer Fun Incentives

• Gift certificate to sporting goods store/shoe
  store
  
• Water bottle, gym bag
• Radio, MP3 player
• Studies have shown that women listen to music
  while walking burn more calories
  
• Gym subscription
• Cooking Light magazine subscription
• Spa products

47
Case Study Ascolta

• Technology consulting firm of 50 people
• WalkStyles DashTraks and DashTrak Wellness
  Subscriptions given by CEO
  
• Encouraged friendly competition between
  departments
  
• Employees challenged each other check up on each
  others progress throughout the day

48
Case Study Merit Property Mangement

• Large home owners association (HOA) group
• Some employees have office jobs others work the
  field
  
• DashTraks plus Subscription offered to employees
• Monthly Lunch n Learns on different wellness
  topics

49
For More Information

• Questions, comments
• Sue Parks
• sue.parks_at_walkstyles.com
• www.walkstyles.com

50
Enjoy the Benefits of a Happy, Healthy Workforce!

• Thank you!