Wellness Programs – Focus on Nutrition Programs.
Benefits of Nutrition Programs
Nutrition directly impacts nearly every aspect of physical and mental health. A healthy diet can help protect against such conditions as heart illness, diabetes, arthritis, stroke, certain cancers and depression. Obesity, which is one of the most common conditions linked to diet, affects a record number of Americans.
The American Journal of Wellness estimates the cost of obesity to United States corporation to exceed $12.5 billion in health care, sick leave, and life and disability insurance.
Furthermore, one study reports that obesity raises health care costs by 36 percent and medication costs by 77 percent. to offset the health risks of obesity and poor diet, many companies have committed to assisting staff members ensure proper nutrition and undertake weight control programs.
Popular nutrition programs –
• Provide employees with educational materials or classes on proper nutrition provided by a registered dietitian.
• Offer on-site Weight Watchers meetings or other weight control programs.
• Give nutritious and health conscience meal choices in the cafeteria and vending machines.
• Obviously post nutrition information for all cafeteria and vending machine items.
• Offer low cost, healthy, take-home dinner choices for workers and their families.
• Draw attention to healthy consuming habits by providing token incentives, such as pencils or ID holders, for achieving five fruits or vegetable servings a day for a week.
Nutrition programs in action
While many companies address weight management through fitness initiatives, companies are increasingly focusing on nutrition through separate programming. Recognizing the productivity improve and reduced medical expenditures that come with maintaining a healthful weight, many companies might help pay for obesity treatments for employees.
For instance, to improve the health of dangerously obese staff members, drug maker Wyeth reportedly compensates for stomach-shrinking surgeries that carry price tags of up to $40,000.
A 2003 Society of Human Resource (HR) Management study shows that 24 percent of corporations offer weight loss programs. In Ohio, Honda offers an onsite, registered dietitian who provides individual or group consultations on weight control. Body fat analysis and BMI measurements are available to staff members at any time.
At Grange Insurance’s Columbus headquarters, the cafeteria chef assesses meals and provides employees basic nutrition information, including Weight Watchers points.
A lot of corporations partner with the American Cancer Society to offer nutrition information through the “5-ADay” program, which provides corporations free signage and educational materials about the importance of eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
The program also offers a fruit and vegetable “frequency card” that gives employees a free portion of fruit or vegetables after he or she has purchased a preset number.