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Wellness In The Workplace
August 2008
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To increase our ability to provide you with positive, practical and functional information we've added a "Resources" page to our website. The links we've included are there to provide even greater insight on specific conditions, agencies and sources to help you and your employees in your efforts to take control of your personal long-term health and wellness. We'll be adding more over time, and if you have a favorite or recommendation, please let us know.

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Are Health Risk Assessments Necessary?

The answer: An unequivocal, "maybe, maybe not, for some, not for others."

We're often asked whether we do health risk assessments. We don't. Here's why. We know health risk assessments are time-consuming and expensive. We concentrate on behavior change and know even small behavior and lifestyle changes can result in dramatic and documentable results. Besides, we already know that 65 percent of Americans (and on average, 65 percent of your employees) are overweight or obese, and that 99 percent of us can benefit from improved nutrition and increased activity. Consider these facts:

  • 60 percent of Americans don't get enough physical activity to provide health benefits, and that 25 percent are not active at all. (National Insitutes of Health)
  • More than 50 percent of us eat fast food once a week or more, and 25 percent of us still smoke cigarettes. (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
  • One of every seven deaths is attributed to poor diet and lack of physical activity. (American Cancer Institute)
  • About one-third of cancer deaths in 2006 were related to nutrition, physical inactivity and being overweight or obese -- and therefore could have been prevented. (American Cancer Institute)
  • Almost one-half of all Americans report having a chronic illness -- and those illnesses account for 75 percent of our national spending on health care (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation). Furthermore, almost 80 percent of all chronic disease is caused by three preventable health behaviors -- physical inactivity, poor nutrition and overeating, and smoking.
  • Lost time adds 50 percent more to an employer's health care expenditures. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
  • Obesity and inactivity are closing in on tobacco use as the leading preventable causes of death in the U.S. (American Cancer Institute, American Heart Association)
  • Obesity is now more costly to U.S. companies than smoking or alcoholism. (The Conference Board)
  • Obesity is associated with 53 health conditions and has roughly the same association with chronic health conditions as 20 years of aging. (Centers for Disease Control)

We also know even "fit" employees and wellness program participants can benefit and make improvements in their nutritional, activity and lifestyle choices. We know that adults gain two hours of life expectancy for each hour of regular exercise. And that taking the stairs for a total of 2 minutes, five days a week gives you the same calorie-burning results as a 20 minute walk. Physically active people save an average of $500 a year in health care costs, and annual medical expenses for employees ranges from $114 for normal-weight individuals to $573 for overweight individuals to $620 for the obese.

And we know, that while not a "perfect" measure, Body Mass Index (BMI) is quick, easy, non-invasive and is still the measurement of choice as the best predictor of health risk concern.

When employers decide to implement the LoneStart Team Esteem Challenge, they already know they need a wellness initiative and why. They know they want a program that will proactively address their wellness costs, and won't become just another burdensome time commitment. We provide a turnkey program and support to those organizations who are ready to move forward by making a positive commitment to long-term wellness -- risk assessment aside.

For information on the above statistics, what they mean to your organization, and what participants are learning from LoneStart Wellness, please browse some of the Quick Links to the left side of this newsletter.
Crunching Numbers
ROI? Well . . .

Crunching Numbers

You're thinking of implementing a wellness program but you need to know the real return on the investment you're about to make. The first number you'll crunch will be the program's ROI. ROI analysis deals with the financial impact of the program, right? Well, yes and no. You can determine the ROI based on numbers alone. You can also see it in the satisfaction, appreciation, loyalty and changes in the health and wellness of your employees.

Let's do the numbers first. Even small improvements make a difference. We're going to use big numbers here, since we can round easily. Say you spend $100,000 on your wellness program, but as a result of that expense, your documented costs (insurance premiums, reimbursements, other related savings, dropped $325,000. Not unreasonable. Read "Proof That Wellness Programs Do Work"

Simply subtract the cost of the program from the savings and divide the resulting answer by the cost. Multiply the final answer by 100 to get a percentage.

An ROI of 225% means your organization is getting back (not having to spend) an estimated $2.25 over and above every dollar it invests. But, as good as that sounds, it doesn't count the benefits of better health, productivity, reduced absenteeism, and employee satisfaction.

Now, to put it in perspective, to implement the LoneStart Wellness Initiative, using this same formula, with 200 employees (as an example), overweight and obesity is costing you about $139,800 annually. We'll use the high side here for cost to implement the program: $14,500 total. Do the math, and you'll see an ROI of 864%, or a return of an estimated $8.64 for every dollar spent. (And this doesn't factor in the potential for reductions in insurance costs.) We're not saying you will completely eliminate the $139,800 figure, but even if you only initially realize one-half of these savings, you still have a return of $4.32 -- and that's not a bad return.

To document, it's important to keep track of costs and savings from the beginning. (And while you will see results in the first year, experts advise that it will take up to five years to be able to document real savings.)

Savings derive primarily from health insurance and cost reductions, as well as indirect benefits:

  • Productivity increases through reduction in absenteeism and presenteeism (sick employees coming in to work, often making mistakes, infecting others and being unproductive)
  • Lower workers' compensation costs
  • Lower turnover costs
  • Healthier, happier employees

These results come from well-structured and well-run programs. The key words are: careful planning, a workable structure, ongoing attention, turnkey presentation and a fresh approach. Beyond keywords, it comes down to the value you place on your employees, their loyalty, and the culture of wellness in your organization you build together.
The Grays
LoneStart Wellness In Africa

LoneStart isn't actually going to Africa, but a member of our Advisory Panel is. Becca Gray, RD, LD, CNSD, husband Paul and 5 month old son, Nathan, are traveling to Soddo, Ethiopia to work at Soddo Christian Hospital. Paul is a board certified general surgeon and will work with African Christian surgery residents through the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS). Becca is a registered dietitian and will be facing the challenges of good nutritional practice in a third world setting.

Soddo, Ethiopia is a town of about 70,000 people. Becca says about 50 percent of the population is Muslim and the annual average income is $120 U.S. dollars. Through Global Outreach Missionaries, Becca and Paul will be providing care to people in Africa who are in desperate need of surgical care and sound nutritional practices.

These are extraordinary people who believe in their ability to improve both the physical and spiritual lives of the people they serve. We wish them the very best as they begin this new and exciting chapter in their lives.

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If your organization is ready to take responsibility for promoting healthy lifestyles and a healthy work environment, LoneStart is an effective, low-cost and easy-to-administer employee wellness program, which functions equally well as a stand-alone initiative or as a high-impact jump-start to existing or proposed employee wellness strategies.

Contact us today to find out how the LoneStart Wellness Initiative will change your workplace.

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A Challenge. An Opportunity. A Solution.
The LoneStart Wellness Initiative
phone: 512.894.3440