Corporate Wellness Watch: June 2007
A Call to Corporate Action
Chronic diseases are on the rise world-wide according to a recent report prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers in conjunction with the World Health Forum’s Working Towards Wellness initiative. Chronic diseases caused approximately 60% of deaths world-wide in 2005 and this figure is expected to increase by 17% over the next 10 years. It is no surprise that the most important modifiable risk factors for chronic disease are poor diet, lack of physical activity and tobacco use. Since employees are spending a growing amount of time at work, the report suggests that the workplace is the logical environment to offer education and prevention strategies within a supportive structure.
In this report PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institute urges business leaders to:
- Assess the health risk of their employees
- "Imbed" a culture of health in their organization
- Commit the resources to promote and encourage wellness
- Collaborate with and support community health initiatives
- Lead by example
(Read the entire "Working Toward Wellness Report")
Fitness Works at Work client companies are answering the call. Here are two examples of programs currently underway.
Copyright Clearance Corporation invested in high-quality pedometers for their employees and set off on a virtual company walk this February from its headquarters in Danvers, MA to the Florida Keys. The 86 participants recorded their steps, converted them into miles and reached the Keys in less than a month. They are enjoying the trip so much that they are continuing on to other parts of the USA. As they travel through important cities, the program coordinator sends all participants a power point of the highlights of the city. There was a lunch time session on calibrating the pedometers to kick off the program, another session on injury prevention for walkers and runners and an upcoming 4-week outdoor fitness walking workshop to step up the pace.
Grand Circle Travel, located in Boston, is running a “Spring Training” program this May where teams of five employees are earning “bases” over four weeks by completing activities that deal with physical fitness, stress management, nutrition and medical self-care. Team members contribute one dollar to register, and Grand Circle contributes three dollars for every one dollar. The winning team gets half of the money as a cash reward and designates the rest to a local charity of its choice. The event will be kicked off by huge company walk on the Boston waterfront on May 16 in recognition of National Employee Health and Fitness Day.
