Health Promotion Programs – Focus on Nutrition Programs.
Benefits of Nutrition Programs
Nutrition directly impacts nearly every aspect of physical and psychological health. A healthful diet can help protect against such conditions as heart illness, diabetes, arthritis, stroke, certain cancers and depression. Obesity, which is among the most common conditions linked to diet, affects a record number of Americans.
The American Journal of Health Promotion estimates the cost of obesity to USA company to exceed $12.5 billion in health care, sick leave, and life and disability insurance.
Moreover, one study reports that obesity raises healthcare costs by 36 percent and medication costs by 77 percent. To offset the health risks of obesity and poor diet, many corporations have committed to helping workers ensure proper nutrition and undertake weight control programs.
Well-liked nutrition programs -
o Provide employees with educational materials or classes on proper nutrition provided by a registered dietitian.
o Make available on-site Weight Watchers meetings or other weight control programs.
o Give nutritious and health conscience meal choices in the cafeteria and vending machines.
o Obviously post nutrition information for all cafeteria and vending machine items.
o Offer low cost, healthy, take-home dinner options for employees and their families.
o Draw attention to healthy consuming habits by providing token incentives, like 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 control through fitness programs, companies are increasingly focusing on nutrition through separate programming. Recognizing the productivity improve and decreased medical expenditures that come with maintaining a healthy weight, many companies may help pay for obesity treatments for employees.
For example, to increase the health of dangerously obese personnel, drug maker Wyeth reportedly pays 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 employers offer losing weight programs. In Ohio, Honda offers an on-site, registered dietitian who provides individual or group consultations on weight control. Body fat analysis and Body Mass Index measurements are available to employees at any time.
At Grange Insurance’s Columbus headquarters, the cafeteria chef assesses meals and provides workforce basic nutrition information, including Weight Watchers points.
Many businesses partner with the American Cancer Society to offer nutrition information through the “5-ADay” program, which provides companys 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.