July 2010

28 Jul 2010

Freezing the Future of Fat

When you create a culture of wellness inside your organization, your employees will bring that information home. When that home has children, the importance of this transfer of knowledge increases exponentially as a healthy, fit child is more likely to realize a happier, more fulfilling life. 

According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, a child’s weight has been directly shown to affect their financial future. The study states that “adults who have been overweight since high school are more likely to be unemployed or on welfare than those who gained weight gradually during their 20’s and 30’s.”  The connection between diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease has been very well documented, but this study draws a very clear line from childhood obesity to a failed economic adult life. This association also illustrates the importance of addressing the wellness of children as soon as possible, and we believe that parents are in the best position to achieve this goal.

Giving employees the culture, information and tools necessary to bring a healthier lifestyle home to their families will help the long-term outlook for their personal health, the health of the company and the future financial security of their children.

14 Jul 2010

WARNING: Movement Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health

We all know exercise is a crucial component of any company’s corporate wellness and fitness culture.  But how exactly does physical activity affect your company’s health risk management investment?

According to a statement published by the American Heart Association: “Regular physical activity using large muscle groups, such as walking, running, or swimming, produces cardiovascular adaptations that increase exercise capacity, endurance, and skeletal muscle strength.  Habitual physical activity also prevents the development of coronary artery disease and reduces symptoms in patients with established cardiovascular disease.” The article goes on to say that this most likely applies to the reduction of the risk for diabetes, depression, obesity, and breast and colon cancer. 

However, long term meaningful health and fitness may require more than a daily visit to the gym.  Human bodies are designed for and require movement.  Our muscles are made to plant and harvest, hunt, play with children, and run from predators.  Today, we sit on our way to work, ride elevators to our offices, and often, our primary social and professional networkings take place via texts and emails where the only parts of our bodies that move may be our thumbs.

A July 2010 New York Times article cites a study that surveyed a group of well educated, upper class men.  Most of these men had a steady workout routine.  They also typically spent about 23 hours a week watching television, driving, or in otherwise sedentary activities. The study found that these men had a 64 percent greater chance of succumbing to heart disease than men who spent less than eleven sedentary hours a week.  

So how do your hardworking employees counter long hours at their desks that may actually be bad for their health?  Move. Pace during the conference calls.  Stand up and stretch while the computer reboots.  Deliver messages to coworkers in person rather than by email.  Encourage actual conversation rather than instant messaging.  Walk to the break room and pour a cup of green tea.

Regular activity throughout the day is another piece in the wellness puzzle that protects your best investment: your employee’s health.