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Health promotion at the officeAmerica’s biggest companies are discovering that it pays to invest in health promotion at the office. Some spend several million dollars year on preventive health care programs, but they save many more millions. Recent studies how that for every dollar spent on health care, companies could save up to six dollars in health insurance costs. They also save on lower medical bills. And they gain more the fact that healthy workers harder and take fewer days of sick leave. Health promotion is growing so fast that there is now an award for companies with the best programs, reports Fortune Magazine (June 12, 1995) in an article titled America’s Health Companies.
These companies do more than provide fitness centres or conduct anti-smoking campaigns at their premises. Many actual seek employees who have risks of heart disease, cancer and other serious illnesses. They include the people who, indulge in alcohol, binge on food, or lead sedentary lives. They may be overweight, or have high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. Such people typically make up about 10 percent of the workforce. But they account for as much as 80 percent of a company’s total medical expenditure. These high risk employees are encouraged to change their lifestyles and break their unhealthy habits before it’s too late. But it is not easy. Apart from those who are obese, it is not always easy to identify who these people are. (Employers have yet to learn the oriental art of facial diagnosis!) Understandably, many people are reluctant to reveal their lifestyle habits and their medical secrets to their companies. They fear that they may lose their jobs or be forced to change their habits. “For health promotion to work,” Fortune writes, “companies must put their employees at ease… participation is strictly voluntarily.” Experience shows, however, that most employees will jump at the opportunity for help. But in cases where employees don’t want to change, it helps to have outsiders from “wellness management” firms do the health promotion. Wellness consultant Patsy Parker says the secret is to ask people to start with small changes. She would not, for example, ask a person to quick smoking. Instead, she may suggest minor changes in diet and exercise. One of Parker’s clients had very high blood pressure, were overweight at 230 lbs and was putting on 10 to 15 lbs year. Parker suggested that he use mustard instead of mayonnaise in his sandwiches, use low calorie salad dressings, and extend his night walks from 30 mins to 45 mins. The man lost 20 lbs and reduced his blood pressure by 33 points, although he did not follow Parker’s advice strictly. Health screening for the early detections of cancer and other serious diseases is another big saving. A woman with breast cancer detected early may need to spend $14,000 on treatment, compared with $40,000 for a case detected later.
Companies with a predominant female workforce have meanwhile found a surprising source of savings: minimizing the cost of childbirth. By promoting healthy lifestyles, they have sharply reduced the most expensive childbirth complications: Caesarian section deliveries and underweight infants. Fortune concludes:Companies are teaching, cajoling, coaching, and scolding their way to a hidden treasure the rewards of keeping employees healthy.Sue, the problem is time consuming and delicate. Turning companies into health care counselors demands a significant investment. But the success of health promotion proves that if companies will lead, employees will follow. |
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