The Scientific Research That Supports
Worksite Health Promotion Activities
(Adapted from The Health Promotion First Act prepared by David Anderson, Ph.D.)
Employee Lifestyles Impact Employee Health
Approximately 40% of all deaths in the United States are premature (at least 900,000 deaths annually) and are due to unhealthy lifestyle choices such as tobacco use, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, misuse of alcohol and drugs, and accidents. Other contributors to early death include genetic predisposition (30%), social circumstances (15%), poor access to quality medical care (10%), and environmental exposures (5%).
Unhealthy lifestyle is the primary contributor to the six leading causes of death in the U.S. – heart disease, cancer, stroke, respiratory diseases, accidents, and diabetes – which collectively account for over 70% of all deaths. , , ,
People with healthier lifestyles live an average of 6 to 9 years longer, postpone disability by 9 years and compress disability into fewer years at the end of life.
The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults rose to 30% in 1999-2000, a 33% increase from a decade earlier, and the prevalence of diabetes also rose by 33% during approximately the same period (1990 to 1998).
About two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese,8 55% do not get enough physical activity, 26% are completely inactive,10 and only 25% eat recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables If diet/physical activity patterns continue worsening at their current rate, these behaviors will soon surpass tobacco use as contributors to mortality.3
Among young people, the prevalence of overweight has more than quadrupled in the past 20 years to 16%, daily participation in high school physical education classes has dropped from 42% in 1991 to 28% in 2003, more than 60% eat too much saturated fat, and almost 80% do not eat recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables.
Lifestyle diseases disproportionately affect women, racial and ethnic minorities, the poor and seniors:
• The prevalence of diabetes among African Americans is about 70% higher than among white Americans, and the prevalence among Hispanics is nearly double that for white Americans.
• Women comprise more than half of the people who die each year of cardiovascular disease.
• Chronic conditions significantly limit daily activity for 35% of persons over 65 years of age.
Financial Impact of Lifestyle
It is estimated that lifestyle-related chronic diseases account for 70% of the nation’s medical care costs, which translates to over 11% of the entire U.S. gross domestic product.
Two comprehensive scientific reviews identified 83 peer-reviewed studies reporting that people with unhealthy habits have higher medical costs. ,
Research conservatively estimates that high health risks (high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc) account for at least 25% of total medical costs.
Recent research indicates a direct relationship between modifiable lifestyle risks and lower worker productivity, , and relevant data suggest that the costs to employers in lost productivity due to poor employee health may be substantially more than the direct medical and disability costs. ,
Unhealthy lifestyles often lead to chronic disease, many of which cannot be cured and require years or decades of expensive treatments. Below are estimated annual costs of selected unhealthy lifestyles and chronic diseases including obesity, , smoking, hypertension, diabetes, stress, and inactivity.
Worksite Health Promotion Improves Health and Yields Major Savings
Comprehensive scientific reviews identified 378 peer-reviewed studies showing that worksite health promotion programs improve health knowledge, health behaviors, and underlying health conditions.
Research has demonstrated that lifestyle modification may often be more effective and cost-effective than medical intervention in reducing morbidity and mortality.
Several scientific reviews indicate that worksite health promotion programs reduce medical costs and absenteeism and produce a positive return on investment.20, , , The most definitive review of financial impact reported that:
• 18 studies indicated that these programs reduce medical costs, and 14 studies indicated that they reduce absenteeism costs.20
• 13 studies that calculated benefit/cost ratios all showed the savings from these programs are much greater than their cost, with medical cost savings averaging $3.48 and the absenteeism savings averaging $5.82 per dollar invested in the programs.20
Medical costs are expected to exceed 16 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2005 and to grow at 7.2 percent annually through 2015, when medical expenditures will account for 20 percent of GDP: ,
• Per capita medical costs in the U.S. are the highest in the world and more than double the median for OECD countries (see chart below), yet the United States ranks 26th in terms of healthy life expectancy.
• Medicaid is the second largest item in most state budgets, and its portion of the total budgets is increasing each year.
• Rising medical costs for U.S. employers continue to outpace general inflation, averaging 12 percent per year for the past 10 years. This trend is causing a tremendous financial hardship on U.S. employers.
References, upon request
For more information contact the Wellness Education Foundation call 1800-287-9488
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Wellness Today, for a Better Life Tomorrow
The Wellness Education Foundation, Inc (WEF) was founded 1992 by Dr. David Wade and is governed by the laws of Alabama. It is an IRS approved 501-c3 non-profit corporation focused on improving the health and wellness of the individual and the dissemination of wellness knowledge to management and workers of all organizations and businesses.
WEF is positioned to become a major provider of Wellness services in this soon to be $1 trillion dollar a year Wellness Industry in the US. Specifically, WEF works closely with employees and their families to reduce the health risk factors that drive rising insurance costs for companies and ruin good health. It is provided online and at the worksite by company workers and WEF affiliated providers (doctors). The providers working with the WEF program share the vision of Wellness Today, For A Better Life Tomorrow.
WEF also sells products and services discounted directly to the public. through the affiliated Buyer's Club WEF will receive revenue from many sources. Dr Wade is the Director of WEF and dedicated to assisting companies and their employees, municipalities, government organizations, chambers of commerce and church groups and individuals with wellness, health and injury prevention programs. Through online tools and professional volunteer members nation-wide, the WEF disseminates health and wellness information to the public.
The Internet site is www.wellnesseducationfoundation.org, which is the outreach and educational tool for reaching the world with wellness education. Dr Wade also owns Online Wellness, www.onlinewellness.org which provides specific subscription based online wellness tools through contractual strategic alliances such Convergence Health, Health Risk Assessment, Comprehensive Stress Survey, and Health e Campaign.
Healthy People 2010, the US Department of Health and Human Services set of health goals for the nation for the first decade of this century, has two primary objectives:
" Increase quality and years of healthy life.
" Eliminate health disparities among different segments of the population.
Healthy People 2010 challenges all --professionals, communities, and individuals, to take specific steps to ensure, that good health and long life are enjoyed by all.
WEF has the programs to meet the Challenge of Healthy People 2010, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, educational programs, and injury prevention.
The WEF Members in Alabama were able to obtain credentials as part of the Poly Clinic Medical Staff for the 1996 Olympic Village in Birmingham for the Quarterfinal Soccer Games. WEF Members have presented educational programs at governmental agencies, schools, churches, corporations. WEF Members are assisting and in many cases coordinating monthly themed health fairs at Wal Marts in conjunction with the Vision Centers and Pharmacy across the US.
Internet and e-commerce training services show constant growth rates. For the United States where the company operates, the Internet training industry expects significant growth rates to persist in the near future, so that investments in that segment tend to be very profitable. The goal of this operation is to offer a wide range of services. Online health and wellness products will also be offered like a shopping mall. In addition to this core business, the company offers a selection of consulting services through their professional providers and health coaches which will help to increase sales revenues and utilize personnel capacity.
The wellness programming is also packaged for sale to individuals, fitness centers, patients of Wellness Coaches, other physician's patients, associations, and other non-employer based groups.
WEF accepts memberships as Corporations, Professionals and Individuals each with their benefits. It has plans to offer memberships or sponsorships to suppliers of products and services that are aligned with the mission and goals of WEF. The WEF's offering includes:
Corporate Membership Benefits:
Health Risk Assessment for behavioral & lifestyle risk reduction programming, i.e. "wellness program"
" healthier workforce resulting in lower health premiums and costs
" reduced compensation claims
" reduced absenteeism
" increased productivity
happy and healthier employees
group perks program and discount buying
Professional Membership Benefits:
Access to key public sites & companies through affiliation with this national non profit organization (WEF)
Increased opportunities to develop corporate relationships with long term benefits
Increased access to expanding potential patient base in each providers practice
Provide additional wellness services to patient base as individual WEF members, including HRA, Self Help- Programs, Wellness Center, Buyers Club
Expand Wellness Services to business and the community - be recognized as the responsible provider of this unique service
Become a Corporate Wellness Coach - new income opportunity
Increase Income through wellness programs presented
group perks program and discount buying
Individual Program Benefits
Determine Wellness Score to stay healthy for a lifetime - Health Risks identified so person can take action to protect and improve health
Remove the disparaging wellness educational information presented to diverse population groups
Ongoing management of diet & exercise program to prevent illness and injury
Proactive involvement of individual health and often with discounts for services and care.
group perks program and discount buying
WEF appreciates the life giving intervention that conventional medicine can offer in cases of acute injury, life threatening conditions or end stage disease. Conventional medicine, however, has not recognized that it fails to provide a foundation for wellness. Screening for early manifestations of disease, while necessary, is not sufficient. It is our hope that by integrating wellness knowledge, services and products along with certain complementary healthcare approaches into the traditional medical model, all concerned (individuals and organizations) will experience greater savings, improved health and get health and healthcare under control. And by making these services readily available to the public will help remove the health disparities among different segments of the population.
Without this approach, wellness experts predict by 2030 government expenditures on healthcare are projected to reach 50% of government revenues. Much of this could be lessened by employers and employees adopting wellness principles into their daily lives. Companies are facing the same crisis: Starbucks for example reportedly spends more on employee healthcare than coffee. Proven fact: when business leaders and their employees understand the principles of good health and act according to those it leads to increased wellness and prevention of injury and disease. This will impact productivity, decrease health care costs, and `reduce injury rates. Teaching Wellness has been shown to have the unique ability to reduce medical claims even in the first year of implementation.
WEF has a business approach that uniquely provides value to Employers, Individuals, Health & Wellness Providers, Organizations, Insurance Professionals and TPA's.
" Employers benefit by having access to an affordable and effective means of developing a healthier workforce resulting in lower insurance costs, higher productivity, lower absenteeism, and reduced turnover.
" Individuals receive the tools, education, assessments, and incentives to pursue healthier lifestyle choices resulting in the avoidance of many chronic conditions and diseases. Employees and dependents with behavioral and lifestyle risk factors enter the WEF Program with the goal of affecting change. The less effective medical model focuses more on treating symptoms.
" Organizations such as associations, colleges, and universities benefit from our services by offering members/students an opportunity to address lifestyle and behavioral changes.
Health & Wellness Providers enjoy the opportunity to educate clients and, as a result, grow their practices.
" Insurance Professionals & TPA's will be supplied with the WEF proactive solution to the problem of increasing insurance and claims costs creating a marketable differentiation in a competitive marketplace as they add the WEF solution. This results in an increased ability to develop and attract clients.
Phamaceutical companies will benefit as we seek to educate the disease management group in long term strategies to control the progression of disease through maintaining their prescribed treatment guidelines.
WEF has the potential to become an instrument of real change in the way people worldwide maximize their life by improving the knowledge base and assisting individuals in accepting responsibility for their health potential.
WEF is positioned to become a major provider of Wellness services in this soon to be $1 trillion dollar a year Wellness Industry in the US. Specifically, WEF works closely with employees and their families to reduce the health risk factors that drive rising insurance costs for companies and ruin good health. It is provided online and at the worksite by company workers and WEF affiliated providers (doctors). The providers working with the WEF program share the vision of Wellness Today, For A Better Life Tomorrow.
WEF also sells products and services discounted directly to the public. through the affiliated Buyer's Club WEF will receive revenue from many sources. Dr Wade is the Director of WEF and dedicated to assisting companies and their employees, municipalities, government organizations, chambers of commerce and church groups and individuals with wellness, health and injury prevention programs. Through online tools and professional volunteer members nation-wide, the WEF disseminates health and wellness information to the public.
The Internet site is www.wellnesseducationfoundation.org, which is the outreach and educational tool for reaching the world with wellness education. Dr Wade also owns Online Wellness, www.onlinewellness.org which provides specific subscription based online wellness tools through contractual strategic alliances such Convergence Health, Health Risk Assessment, Comprehensive Stress Survey, and Health e Campaign.
Healthy People 2010, the US Department of Health and Human Services set of health goals for the nation for the first decade of this century, has two primary objectives:
" Increase quality and years of healthy life.
" Eliminate health disparities among different segments of the population.
Healthy People 2010 challenges all --professionals, communities, and individuals, to take specific steps to ensure, that good health and long life are enjoyed by all.
WEF has the programs to meet the Challenge of Healthy People 2010, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, educational programs, and injury prevention.
The WEF Members in Alabama were able to obtain credentials as part of the Poly Clinic Medical Staff for the 1996 Olympic Village in Birmingham for the Quarterfinal Soccer Games. WEF Members have presented educational programs at governmental agencies, schools, churches, corporations. WEF Members are assisting and in many cases coordinating monthly themed health fairs at Wal Marts in conjunction with the Vision Centers and Pharmacy across the US.
Internet and e-commerce training services show constant growth rates. For the United States where the company operates, the Internet training industry expects significant growth rates to persist in the near future, so that investments in that segment tend to be very profitable. The goal of this operation is to offer a wide range of services. Online health and wellness products will also be offered like a shopping mall. In addition to this core business, the company offers a selection of consulting services through their professional providers and health coaches which will help to increase sales revenues and utilize personnel capacity.
The wellness programming is also packaged for sale to individuals, fitness centers, patients of Wellness Coaches, other physician's patients, associations, and other non-employer based groups.
WEF accepts memberships as Corporations, Professionals and Individuals each with their benefits. It has plans to offer memberships or sponsorships to suppliers of products and services that are aligned with the mission and goals of WEF. The WEF's offering includes:
Corporate Membership Benefits:
Health Risk Assessment for behavioral & lifestyle risk reduction programming, i.e. "wellness program"
" healthier workforce resulting in lower health premiums and costs
" reduced compensation claims
" reduced absenteeism
" increased productivity
happy and healthier employees
group perks program and discount buying
Professional Membership Benefits:
Access to key public sites & companies through affiliation with this national non profit organization (WEF)
Increased opportunities to develop corporate relationships with long term benefits
Increased access to expanding potential patient base in each providers practice
Provide additional wellness services to patient base as individual WEF members, including HRA, Self Help- Programs, Wellness Center, Buyers Club
Expand Wellness Services to business and the community - be recognized as the responsible provider of this unique service
Become a Corporate Wellness Coach - new income opportunity
Increase Income through wellness programs presented
group perks program and discount buying
Individual Program Benefits
Determine Wellness Score to stay healthy for a lifetime - Health Risks identified so person can take action to protect and improve health
Remove the disparaging wellness educational information presented to diverse population groups
Ongoing management of diet & exercise program to prevent illness and injury
Proactive involvement of individual health and often with discounts for services and care.
group perks program and discount buying
WEF appreciates the life giving intervention that conventional medicine can offer in cases of acute injury, life threatening conditions or end stage disease. Conventional medicine, however, has not recognized that it fails to provide a foundation for wellness. Screening for early manifestations of disease, while necessary, is not sufficient. It is our hope that by integrating wellness knowledge, services and products along with certain complementary healthcare approaches into the traditional medical model, all concerned (individuals and organizations) will experience greater savings, improved health and get health and healthcare under control. And by making these services readily available to the public will help remove the health disparities among different segments of the population.
Without this approach, wellness experts predict by 2030 government expenditures on healthcare are projected to reach 50% of government revenues. Much of this could be lessened by employers and employees adopting wellness principles into their daily lives. Companies are facing the same crisis: Starbucks for example reportedly spends more on employee healthcare than coffee. Proven fact: when business leaders and their employees understand the principles of good health and act according to those it leads to increased wellness and prevention of injury and disease. This will impact productivity, decrease health care costs, and `reduce injury rates. Teaching Wellness has been shown to have the unique ability to reduce medical claims even in the first year of implementation.
WEF has a business approach that uniquely provides value to Employers, Individuals, Health & Wellness Providers, Organizations, Insurance Professionals and TPA's.
" Employers benefit by having access to an affordable and effective means of developing a healthier workforce resulting in lower insurance costs, higher productivity, lower absenteeism, and reduced turnover.
" Individuals receive the tools, education, assessments, and incentives to pursue healthier lifestyle choices resulting in the avoidance of many chronic conditions and diseases. Employees and dependents with behavioral and lifestyle risk factors enter the WEF Program with the goal of affecting change. The less effective medical model focuses more on treating symptoms.
" Organizations such as associations, colleges, and universities benefit from our services by offering members/students an opportunity to address lifestyle and behavioral changes.
Health & Wellness Providers enjoy the opportunity to educate clients and, as a result, grow their practices.
" Insurance Professionals & TPA's will be supplied with the WEF proactive solution to the problem of increasing insurance and claims costs creating a marketable differentiation in a competitive marketplace as they add the WEF solution. This results in an increased ability to develop and attract clients.
Phamaceutical companies will benefit as we seek to educate the disease management group in long term strategies to control the progression of disease through maintaining their prescribed treatment guidelines.
WEF has the potential to become an instrument of real change in the way people worldwide maximize their life by improving the knowledge base and assisting individuals in accepting responsibility for their health potential.
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