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Wellness In The Workplace
December 2009
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Heartfelt Holiday Thanks

We would like to thank all of our hospital and corporate clients and individual participants who made 2009 a successful year for LoneStart Wellness - and in the process, made it a successful year for themselves and their organizations. And for you newsletter recipients who aren't yet familiar with what the LoneStart Program offers, we'd like the chance to show you what we can do for you and your organization. We're committed to making 2010 the year to take individual and employee health and wellness from, "an awareness of a problem discussion" to "an achievable, long term and sustainable solution." While we're at it, we're doing our best to spread Viral Wellness, and hope you catch it.

Merry Christmas from LoneStart, and best wishes for a healthy, productive and happy New Year.

manwithfries
What Does Obesity Really Cost?

Obesity in the workplace: More than an added health care expense, it's likely dragging your productivity down . . . more down than you might think.

Today, as employers look to squeeze more productivity out of downsized workforces (and it's becoming more of a squeeze), it's a good time to consider how much obesity is dragging down the bottom line - and how investing in promoting wellness can begin to turn it around. It's an issue employers, and the government in its health care reform discussion, must tackle.

(This is a longer article than usual, but it focuses on a problem that is moving toward the top of the health care debate, and one that we can all address - effectively. We hope you'll take the time to read it!)

By the time an employee is about 50 pounds overweight the number of lost workdays jumps to 117 days per 100 full time employees (versus only 14 days per 100 full time employees at ideal body weight). Workers comp claims are nearly twice as high, and medical costs are three times higher. And, even just a few extra pounds can make a big difference. For workers who are overweight but not obese, the lost-workday rate increases by a factor of four and medical claims nearly double. (CLICK HERE to find out what obesity is costing your organization.)

According to a study by The Conference Board, obesity costs U.S. private employers an estimated $45 billion a year in medical expenditures and worker absenteeism. The study found that obesity is associated with an overall 36 percent increase in health care spending, more than either smoking or alcoholism. And, since 34 percent of American adults fit the definition of obesity, this is a challenge. A study released in November by the UnitedHealth Foundation, American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention finds that by 2018, just 8 years from now, 43 percent of the population will be considered obese and U.S. spending on health care costs attributable to obesity will quadruple - to $344 billion.

Since 1991, the number of Americans considered morbidly obese has increased more than 74 percent. Consider the following obesity-related statistics:
  • Annual medical expenses for employees range from $114 for normal-weight individuals to $573 for overweight individuals to $620 for the obese. (American Journal of Health Behavior)
  • Obese workers file twice the number of workers' compensation claims, have seven times higher medical costs from those claims and lose 13 times more days of work from work injury or work illness than do non-obese workers. (Duke University Study, Archives of Internal Medicine, Truis Ostbye, MD, PhD)
  • Obese individuals spend 77 percent more on medications. Only aging has a greater effect on medication spending. (Rand Health, "The Effects of Obesity, Smoking and Problem Drinking on Chronic Medical Problems and Health Care Costs," R. Strum, February 2002.)
  • Obesity is associated with a 36 percent increase in spending on health care services, and is now more costly to U.S. companies than smoking or alcoholism. (The Conference Board, 2008)
  • Obesity is associated with 53 health conditions and has roughly the same association with chronic health conditions as 20 years of aging. (Center for Disease Control)
  • Obesity costs the health care system about $147 billion a year. To put that figure in perspective, the American Cancer Society estimates that all cancers combined cost our health care system $93 billion a year.
  • The Social Security Administration pays more than $77 million per month to those who meet obesity requirements for disability. (American Obesity Association)

One of the problems facing employers looking to address these issues is that obesity is considered a medical condition, as opposed to a lifestyle choice like smoking. Many companies already charge employees who smoke more for their health insurance. And, more and more, organizations are instituting wellness programs to encourage employees to lose weight - but presented in the wrong way, it opens the employer up to legal liability if they are too forceful or insensitive in the way they administer the program. Sooo . . .

Consider an approach to wellness that avoids the pitfalls of a direct assault on obesity but instead takes a more all-encompassing approach to dealing with the root causes of disease. Look at what can happen when you shift your wellness focus from the 20 percent of those who drive 80 percent of the cost of health care to your entire workforce. Now, you are effectively addressing cost avoidance rather than simply cost reduction, and doing it on a workforce-wide basis. By creating a "Culture of Wellness," you improve overall health - on an ongoing, sustainable level.

Consider too, that how employers present a wellness / weight loss program can be as important as initiating a program. Top management must be supportive and involved, and employees must believe the program is being done for them, not to them. And, as more employees take steps to improve their health, you can bet they'll value an employer that helps them achieve their goals. And this is how we move from "sick care" to a sustainable wellness solution.
2010


This Year We're Really Going to Do This. . . Really!

As incredible as it seems, 2009 is four short weeks away from becoming "last year." And that means that a brand, spanking new 2010 will soon be here.

Ah, New Years, the time for fresh starts and endless possibilities. It's when we wipe the slate clean and resolve (and this time we really mean it) to start off on the right foot, keep our eye on the prize, and keep all of our other body parts on the path to virtue and healthy living. Once again, at the start of this new year, all things are possible. Flush with the promise of redemption, we will forgive ourselves for past discretions and focus on becoming the fully-actualized people we know ourselves to be.

It's no surprise that the most common New Year's resolution we Americans make is to lose weight and get healthy. We all value our health and we all want to envision a future full of activity, mobility, vitality and longevity. And if we've learned anything during the boisterous, contentious and partisan "national conversation" on health care that has dominated much of 2009, it's that our individual health is an issue that has ramifications for businesses, organizations, communities and our society as a whole. There is increasing awareness that we all have a stake in reducing the rates of obesity and other risk factors for preventable chronic illness . . . a really big stake. Regular readers of this newsletter know that the statistics are grim, the costs are accelerating and the burden being placed on our healthcare system is unsustainable.

So here we are a month away from the best time of the year to tap into our collective sense of renewed optimism and determination to improve our vital wellness behaviors. The question is: Will this be the year that we match our resolve with our actions? We would suggest that the answer should be and can be "Yes." We all already know this in our heads. What we need to believe in our hearts is that we can tackle this issue for ourselves, our families, our organizations, our communities and our nation and that we will be successful. January of 2010 will mark the fourth anniversary of LoneStart's first 63-Day Team Esteem Challenge. These past four years have provided all the proof we need to know that if we're careful about the messages we send, the expectations we create and the opportunities we provide, we will be successful. Will you join us in this effort?
Holiday Hints
Helpful, Hectic Holiday Hints

Can it be that time again . . . Already?

The holidays are here. Please share these timely tips with your employees, co-workers, families and friends. These simple hints and reminders will make the holidays a little healthier and give us all a head start on the New Year. You can also download our expanded "Get Me Through The Holidays," with even more helpful hints.
  • Eat a substantial breakfast that includes protein. Protein takes longer to digest and helps you feel full longer.
  • Avoid being hungry. Healthy, small snacks will keep the edge off.
  • Catch the cravings early. A craving starts with the thought of something good to eat, the thought that you are hungry. Immediately turn your thoughts to something besides food.
  • The average craving lasts 5 minutes. Wait it out before you do anything (other than drink a glass of water). Get up and walk-to the water fountain, the end of the hall, up and down a flight of stairs-anywhere but the candy machine. The craving will go away if you give it a little time.
  • Drink water. Being thirsty leads to being hungry. Water will help calm a craving.
  • Don't punish yourself. Giving in to a craving on occasion won't make or break your success- but habitually giving in to eating impulses will catch up with you.
  • Remember portion sizes: A normal serving of turkey is about 3-oz., the size of a deck of playing cards. A serving of mashed potatoes is half a cup or the size of a computer mouse.
  • Find time to "fit in fitness." Staying active won't make you hungrier, but it will make you healthier. Organize a family walk before or after "the big meal." Take the stairs when you have a choice. Walk briskly while shopping, park further away, play with the kids, play with the dog, and just find ways to get in motion.
  • Try to avoid the "family and holiday" conflict that can cause stress to the point where you take solace in food.

And, remember: Moderation is the word of the season. It's the key to fun yet healthy holidays. Avoid the "Seasonal Gain," buck the trend, and try to keep in mind, it's about more than the food. Focus on socializing with friends and family, be positive, and don't forget, you have a choice. For information about LoneStart Wellness corporate programs, please visit our website at: www.lonestartnow.com, or call 512.894.3440.

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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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Please forward this newsletter to friends and associates who will benefit from a workplace wellness strategy such as the LoneStart Wellness Initiative.

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