wellness

Thomson Reuters and NPR recently conducted a poll that asked a group of Americans about their New Year’s resolutions.  Not surprisingly, many of the responses  were focused on losing weight and quitting smoking.  And there’s never been a better time for us to tackle these issues. 

Raymond Fabius, M.D., and chief medical officer at Thomson Reuters feels that if we can keep these resolutions or goals, then we’re taking meaningful steps in solving America’s healthcare crisis.

In the February 2012 Yoga Journal, Chip Wilson, founder of Lululemon Athletica, suggests the following tips for reaching your goals:

1. Imagine yourself ten years from now. What do you look like?  How do you feel? Work backwards from that picture to determine the steps you need to take to turn your vision into reality.
2. Set a “by when” date.  If your goal is to lose ten pounds, pick a date by which you plan to accomplish that goal.
3. Read your goals out loud to create excitement! If you’re excited you are more likely to accomplish your resolution successfully.
4. Have a support system.  Share your goals with your friends so they can support you.
5. Write your goals down and keep them where you can see them often. 

Your corporate wellness professionals are equipped to help your employees realize their resolutions and work toward attaining them. Through comprehensive wellness programs, registered dieticians, and recreation planning, these goals are within reach.  With a proper wellness program, not only will you be contributing to lowering our healthcare crisis, you will be lowering your bottom line by supporting your employees’ healthy goals. How’s that for a resolution worth keeping?

According to a recent story in USA Today, an Ohio third grader who weighed 200 pounds was taken from his parents’ home and put into foster care because his mother "was not doing enough about his weight."

An Obesity Doctor from Boston's Children's hospital said removing a child from the home is not a matter of finger pointing and blame, but rather a way to get the overweight child the help that their parents can't provide. According to the article, there are discussions afoot as to whether parents of extremely obese children should lose custody of the children. According to the article, the medical community appears to be agreeing that yes, the government should get involved in cases of extreme overweight for the child's sake.

This brings up an interesting dilemma in a time in American history when not all children are expected to outlive their parents due to obesity and the resulting possibilities of type-2 diabetes, liver, and breathing issues that could kill them before they reach the age of 30.

Whether or not you agree that the government should intervene and remove children from their parents, the issue shines a bright light on the fact that corporate wellness programs must be a family affair. Employees need to take the tools and knowledge that they learn in the workplace and bring them home to their families and children.

Crystal Witte is a registered dietician who works with kids and parents to teach healthy food preparation and balanced nutrition. She urges parents to get the kids involved in food prep at home so they develop a first-hand understanding of food and nutrition. She encourages parents to let the children make their own lunches, and then provide feedback as to what the lunches are missing or have in excess. Witte also offers information on the dangers of nitrates, processed foods, trans fat, and sodas. She painted a clear picture by holding a bag full of 17 teaspoons next to a Pepsi, driving home the point graphically, a great way to reach the kids.

This grassroots, in-the-trenches approach is what's needed in our wellness programs, right now. The staggering statistics of the prevalence of obesity in America and in our children add up to eventual death sentences and catastrophic health issues for both your current employees and your future ones. Are your employees not only learning about proper nutrition, but taking their findings home? Let’s work together to teach our kids the lessons we’re learning now, before it’s too late for them. Start healthy habits early!

Metabolic syndrome, the presence of a group of factors that occur together and increase the risk for three serious conditions, now effects one in three adults in the United States. These conditions are:

• Coronary heart disease and heart attack. When the arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked by fatty deposits called plaque, they decrease the amount of blood and oxygen reaching the heart, which can cause chest pain (angina) or a heart attack.
• Stroke. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of your brain is interrupted by a blocked or burst blood vessel, which deprives the brain of oxygen and nutrients. Within a few minutes, brain cells begin to die, resulting in brain damage, other complications, or death.
• Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes occurs when the body can no longer make enough insulin or is unable to use insulin properly. This causes sugars to build up in the blood and increases risks for kidney failure and cardiovascular disease.

As defined in the U.S. National Library of Medicine reference the two most important risk factors for metabolic syndrome are:

• Extra weight around the middle and upper parts of the body (central obesity). The body may be described as "apple-shaped."
• Insulin resistance, in which the body cannot use insulin effectively. Insulin is needed to help control the amount of sugar in the body. As a result, blood sugar and fat levels rise.

Other risk factors include:

• Aging
• Heredity
• Hormone changes
• Lack of exercise

Make no mistake; the conditions exacerbated by metabolic syndrome are killers. The risk factors gain on you slowly over time but can be prevented if you focus on the factors that are under your control. How can you make a difference in the quality of life for yourself and for those you care about the most?

1. Be active. A sedentary lifestyle can be changed. Take a walk while you make that next conference call. Ride a stationary bike for the first half of your next Packers game. Even standing has shown to be beneficial to your metabolism and posture instead of sitting.
2. Engage your brain before you take that next bite or gulp. Will water do instead of juice or soda? Try leaving one-quarter of your food on the plate or save it for the next meal. Choose fruit instead of a bagel, or even a half a bagel instead of a whole one. Over time you will be amazed how many calories you save and how it will change you from an apple into another, more desired shape.

It takes many years to develop metabolic syndrome. An active strategy to reverse your risk factors and, in turn, your likelihood for developing diseases can instead add just as many quality years to share with all those that you care for and that care for you.

October is national Breast Cancer Awareness month.  According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer for women, second only to skin cancer. One out of every eight woman in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

There is currently an abundance of science-based evidence that states there may be ways to prevent breast cancer from occurring in the first place.  Dr. Christine Horner, prominent breast cancer surgeon and author of "Waking the Warrior Goddess: Dr. Christine Horner's Program to Protect Against and Fight Breast Cancer" has been touring the country visiting both conventional medical doctors and naturopathic practitioners. Her mission is to explain that we very much have control over cancers – or any illness for that matter – in our bodies.  She blames the American lifestyle and diet; high anxiety, and fast food or “goo and glue.” In other words; stress, refined sugars, and refined carbs fuel cancer like kindling in a wildfire.

When an individual is diagnosed with breast cancer, Horner believes that natural solutions should be used in conjunction with (not in place of) traditional cancer therapy.  Combinations of green tea and turmeric, exercise, and ginger dramatically ease the ravages and fatigue of chemotherapy and radiation. Understanding that one does have the power to heal through meditation and other mindfulness practices helps a cancer patient fight like a rock star rather than feel defeated, alone, and fatalistic.  Finding quiet amidst the chaos and fear of a catastrophic disease is imperative to a “whole” recovery. Alternately; the ability to experience a peaceful, meaningful, and rich ending if survival is not in the cards is not only possible, it should be mandatory.

As in any life changing event, behavior modification, or lifestyle change, maintaining good new habits and mindsets are key. There is a tendency in any human behavior to slip, once the crisis has passed, or the goal has been met.  Horner recalled a Wortle Statistic regarding such slips; “Ninety percent of heart attack victims go back to their original diet and lifestyle within one year. Strangely, death is not a motivator for human beings on a daily basis.”

As with any disease, stress management is extremely important. Especially today, when stress levels for most Americans are at an all time high, every effort to reduce tension and anxiety is of prime concern and will be reciprocated with many benefits, including reduced illness, a more positive outlook, and a healthier way of life. Many companies wisely offer Wellness programs, including such activities as group walking, meditation, office yoga, and deep breathing to keep their employees at their best and most productive.  If there is a diagnosis of cancer or any other disease, stress reduction is yet another important element to a complete recovery. 

There is one very clear message that Horner sends: We must understand and appreciate that there is power behind the decisions and choices we make; good or bad. What decisions have you made today that impact your total health and wellness?

For more information on breast cancer prevention, please visit the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.

“It is really in ourselves, in our emotions and in our memories, that we can each find our healing space.  For the most powerful of healing places is in the brain and in the mind.” - Esther Sternberg, MD

And Vice Versa.  According to the Center for Disease Control, people with phobic fears and severe anxiety issues have a greater risk of heart disease.

Scientists have found that people with excessive fear of social situations, animals, or the outdoors are 30 or 40 times more likely to have the extreme tension that may create heart disease and cause an attack.  

According to this month’s Idea Fitness Journal; Dr. Esther Sternberg, MD, section chief of neuroendocrine immunology and behavior at the National Institute of Mental Health, is quoted as saying that “one-third of Americans are living with extraordinary stress and that 90% of us live with stress on a regular basis.”

Are we doomed?  Not so, states Sternberg.  It is unlikely that many of us can walk away from our stressors, but becoming “resilient” and learning to cope is essential.  Finding our “bounce” and strengthening our ability to put things in perspective are key.  In the article, Sternberg suggests that help from fitness professionals is vital, as is walking, meditating several times a week, and a healthy Mediterranean diet.

Qualified fitness professionals are designed to deliver heart-saving lifestyle changes to your employees.  Wellness programs educate and provide the tools to teach your company to take baby steps until wellness becomes a habit.  Presenting people with the reality that they do have power over their lives is invaluable.

I want to extend my very best holiday wishes from all of Plus One.  Our goals in the new year are to continue to close the gap between your employee’s wellness and healthcare needs and our expertise.  Our country’s obesity rate continues to rise, costing your company more in insurance costs.  An article in the Nov. 29, 2010 Newsweek Magazine claims that America’s great income disparity is widening the gap between the obese and the socially elite. 

The U.S. National Center for Health Statistics doesn’t necessarily agree, stating that “the obesity epidemic is hitting young and older Americans across the economic spectrum.”

According to CNN Opinion, American young adults are unbelievably now becoming “too fat to fight”.  The military has had to adjust its bodyweight and body-fat expectations.  The past requirement for young male recruits was a 26% body-fat, which is generous.  They now will recruit men with 30% body-fat if they are otherwise healthy, even though that is considered to be between overweight and obese. 

So, we can all agree America is too fat.  But have we ever been too fat to defend our country before?