Corporate Wellness takes a Turn

Corporate Wellness Takes a Turn

Corporate wellness programs began as a way for employers to cut rising health care costs. Many instituted health assessments and screenings from outside firms and provided that to their employees. Then they began to consider exercise programs, weight loss and smoking cessation programs to make their employees healthier.

Now the focus is on creating a culture where workers are mentally, socially and physically healthy and more engaged. It is now about moving more, eating more mindfully, and generally feeling good by reducing inflammation in the body. Return on investment (ROI) is no longer the primary goal but engagement is number one.

The focus is now addressing emotional needs, stress management, sleep enhancement, work-life balance and much needed social and community connections.

The most immediate return on these new focuses is achieving a healthy weight and an anti-inflammatory diet. Those with a BMI greater than 40 utilize $6500 more dollars per year, those with a BMI greater than 35 utilize $3500 more dollars per year in health care costs.  Exercise has always been a focus but it is singularly ineffective in achieving meaningful success.  Instead, stress management to reduce bad hormones and binge eating at night - (47% of obese people), healthy nutrition education and coaching are the way of the future

Old ways of punitive actions or monetary awards is fading away as we learn more about the human tendencies. As a whole, humans plan poorly for the future, and do not realize that what they do every day ultimately increases their years of morbidity and shortens their lives by as much as 10 years. We do not notice this process of cellular aging from our “infamous fourteen major agers” that need to be addressed to keep the work force productive. ( We have a power point on these infamous fourteen major agers)

Look around and see the proliferation of “independent living”, assisted living, and retirement communities being built. This is happening because as we age, if we do not slow the trajectory of aging, the retirement time of 15 years (65-80) is burdened by chronic diseases. The health portfolio does not match the wealth portfolio. Companies that seek to match these two are able to keep a productive, engaged work force and attract new workers because of the healthy environment.

Advanced Wellness Systems has the team exprtise to address the needs on site and through telemedicine.  Lunch and Learns are always effective and can be entertaining and energizing.

Make your business all that it can be.

Dr. B