Health Tips A to Z

Weight management is a major area of both employee interest and need. Body Mass Index (BMI) is the clinical measure that indicates whether individuals are in a healthy weight range or are overweight or obese. The BMI is a measure of a person’s overall height to their overall weight. Height and weight are measured during the Healthy Benefits screening. A computer mathematical calculation supplies the BMI score. Gordian health management programs are available for Healthy Benefits participants who qualify based on their BMI score, and who are interested in a weight management program.

Ideas for worksite based weight management programs include:
• Have Weight Watchers, TOPS, or other reputable weight control groups meet in your workplace or nearby. Offer such groups before/after work or at lunchtime. Employee attendance is generally better if workers can attend either wholly or partially on work time. Break times may be rolled into lunch break times to minimize employee time away from work duties (with management approval). workers usually pay their own fees for class attendance and supporting materials.
• If the wellness program offers incentives based on participation, award a completion gift when employee has attended a certain number of weight management sessions or activities.
• Supply information regarding neighborhood weight management groups.
• Incentives such as cash, tee shirts, plaques, certificates, hours/days off, names on bulletin boards can be given to people who write a weight loss contract and meet their intention.
• Establish a worksite responsibility to offer alternative healthy snacks at company-sponsored gatherings. Healthy snacks such as fruit, pretzels, plain popcorn, almonds, and veggies offer demonstration as to the employer’s responsibility to health and employee well being.

Health Tip – Audio Version - Bad break on spring break.
Health Tip – Healthy Next Step: College Drinking – Changing the Culture (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

So teens, where do you want to go on spring break?

How about the emergency room?

Prom season and spring break are when many high school students try alcohol – a bad idea any time of year, considering that it’s illegal and leads to car wrecks, among other trouble.

The other trouble includes emergency room visits. The latest yearly total from HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – SAMHSA – is that 12- to 20-year-olds had almost 143,000 E-R visits because of alcohol use.

Alcohol also messes up teens’ brains. SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie:

“Alcohol can affect the developing adolescent brain. Drinking – bottom line – impairs judgment, impairs memory.”

Health Tip courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Last revised: August, 15 2006

Health Tip – Audio Version - Bigger, not better
Health Tip – Healthy Next Step: Weight Loss for Life (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Bigger is not always better — and in weight, bigger can be worse.

But that’s what researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found when they compared measures taken in 2003 and ‘04 with those taken in 1999-2000. Their report is in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

CDC says 17 percent of children and teens weigh too much. That’s up from about 14 percent. And more men became obese – about 31 percent, up from less than 28 percent.

Researcher Cynthia Ogden:

“I was surprised to find that we saw an increase in obesity in men, and overweight in children during such a short time period.”

Women’s obesity rate was level. But about one third of women are obese, so that’s still too high.

Health Tip courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Last revised: August, 15 2006

Every worksite will have employees who will not take part in provided worksite wellness activities. But these same employees may be following a myriad of healthy practices in their daily living. A wonderful wellness program should give these individuals credit and recognition for their wonderful work.

Recognition of healthy goal setting and goal achievement is a great approach for reinforcing what individuals are doing on their own outside of work, and for reaching those who don’t like group activities. Suggested steps for individual goals/objectives and recognition include:
• A form employees can fill out which includes the set intention(s) and a target date for completion.
• Information on setting realistic objectives and goals, as individuals frequently overestimate what they can do and by when. It’s good to remind employees “baby steps” count!
• Maintain a confidential file of the submitted employee goal forms in a dated “tickler” system.
• Send a reminder to each employee at the time of each member’s intention date. This reminder might be a copy of their original intention form. Ask for employee’s feedback regarding their intention(s): completed the intention, need an extension, or have discontinued the intention.
• When the form is returned from an employee:
   1. If an employee has completed the intention, a certificate of completion is received along with a prize or incentive item linked to the intention (if possible).
   2. If the employee renegotiates the deadline or the intention, the form is re-filed for future follow-up. Continue to bolster the employee.
   3. If the intention is canceled, send a note acknowledging this “good try” and bolster the employee to try again when the timing is right.
• Allow those interested in this process to set objectives and goals any time and as often as they want.

Health Tip – Audio Version - Big kids for the seats
Health Tip – Healthy Next Step: Too Few Car Seats for America’s Obese Kids (National Library of Medicine)

Car safety seats for kids are designed to take certain ages and weights of kids. But as America’s kids become fatter, something has changed. Many kids are too fat for the seat that, according to their age, they should be in.

Lara Trifiletti came across the packed-too-tight problem at Johns Hopkins in a research project supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researcher, who’s now at Ohio State, then figured out how many kids in America are affected. Her findings are in the journal Pediatrics.

“Two-hundred-and-eighty-three-thousand children between one and six years of age would have a difficult if not impossible time finding a safe child seat because of their age and weight.”

Trifiletti says a handful of seats can take the big kid, but they have big costs – well above average.

Health Tip courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Last revised: August, 15 2006

Health Tip – Audio Version - Ease for the knees?
Health Tip – Healthy Next Step: Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT) Study Results (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)

Glucosamine and chondroitin are popular supplements among people with osteoarthritis, whose joints hurt. They’re supposed to help you keep good cartilage.

Does this mean less pain?

Daniel Clegg of the University of Utah tested the pills. His study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Clegg found people with moderate to severe knee pain reported a little benefit. People with mild pain didn’t see even that.

Clegg’s advice: Go with what’s known to work, such as proven pain pills and building a better body:

“Patients who need to lose weight, if they lose weight, their osteoarthritis pain improves. Patients should develop a program of exercise that would help them improve.”

Health Tip courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Clegg says if you want glucosamine and chondroitin after all that, it’s your choice.

Last revised: August, 15 2006

Walking Club

Walking clubs or “trekking” can either be done in real time (by scheduling walking groups), or clubs can be set it up so people do their walking on their own and keep a shared log at work. After a certain number of miles or steps are logged, employees are eligible for membership into the walking “club” and receive something like a prize (a walking pin, similar to the ones that volkswalkers get, or a certificate of membership). Ways to continue interest in walking groups include:

• Regualr announcements about neighborhood walking programs. Keep abreast of programs in the neighborhood, Parks & Recreation programs, available tracks, inside walking options, volkswalking programs, etc.
• Periodic information specific to walkers; such as what to look for when buying a pair of walking shoes.
• Consider a workplace team to participate in a local fundraiser walk, such as the March of Dimes walk.
• A walking club can be the kind of “club” that never really meets, or it can be the kind that does offer the option for those who are interested in group walks and programs.

Health Awareness Video Programming

Many good health related videos and DVDs are available through loan programs either at no or low expenditures. Choose video programming based on employee interests and needs.

• Provide periodic health video viewings at lunchtime brown bag sessions.
• The videos can be related to health or other related wellness issues like financial planning, caring for aging parents, or even humor as a “break” from the work routine.
• Preview videos before showing them to insure they are appropriate, not too long, etc.
• Have a Company Health Promotion Program Committee Host moderate the viewing, greet individuals, and lead a brief discussion after the video. Establish one or two questions for discussion after previewing the video and use these to lead the discussion. Many health videos come with group discussion questions.
• Supply a pertinent educational brochures for participants to take with them for more information on the topic.
• If possible, offer popcorn or fruit as a snack.
• Offer a prize drawing (or points if you are doing that kind of incentive program) for those attending the video program and discussion.

Wellness Mentors

Every worksite generally has at least a couple of employees who have successfully made changes in their health. Often, other employees will relate to one of their peers. Peer backing can go a long ways in encouraging healthy changes.

• Seek volunteers from the work force who have experienced a disease resulting from an unhealthy behavior, or survived or recovered from a disease that just happens like breast cancer, and who have successfully made positive changes.
• Connect these success story staff members with staff members struggling with similar health problems.
• Both employees participating in the mentoring process are doing so on a voluntary basis. Respect the privacy of this very special relationship.
• A Workplace Wellness Program Committee person can be involved from a peripheral standpoint, and be available to share other resources that might be significant to both workers.

Health Tip – Audio Version - Anger management
Health Tip – Healthy Next Step: Stress Management (National Library of Medicine)

Instead of getting angry, try getting a grip. Otherwise, you may end up in the hospital. A study finds anger increases risk of injury, especially among men.

Researchers asked emergency room patients about their state of mind 24 hours before – and just before – they went to the hospital.

Those reporting anger were twice as likely to be in the ER because of injury.

Dan Vinson of the University of Missouri-Columbia says, in today’s angry society, it’s wise to think twice:

“One way to avoid getting injured intentionally is to be aware of one’s own anger and if you find yourself getting angry, back off.”

The study found no connection between anger and traffic accidents, but did find a relationship between anger and sports injuries.

The study in Annals of Family Medicine was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Health Tip courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Last revised: August, 15 2006

Health Tip – Audio Version - More soda, less milk
Health Tip – Healthy Next Step: Tweens and Teens Need Calcium Now More Than Ever! (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Teen-age girls need calcium for strong bones, and milk has calcium. So what are they drinking more of?

Ruth Striegel-Moore of Wesleyan University in Connecticut looked at food diaries kept by close to 2,400 girls from the ages of 9 or 10 through age 19. The National Institutes of Health supported her study in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Striegel-Moore says that, at the end, girls were drinking about 25 percent less milk and almost three times more soda. Soda was their No. 1 drink.

Striegel-Moore says they were missing milk’s chance to help them get calcium:

“It contributes to bone growth. And once girls have reached maturity, they no longer develop new bone. So if you are not building enough bone, you have less bone, basically, for the rest of your life.”

Health Tip courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Last revised: August, 15 2006

Set-up and offer “free” health information resources as part of the overall worksite wellness plan. Reliable information is available no cost, or at very low cost, through many resource areas. Ideas and resources will be suggested here. Also review the Resource and Website listings at the end of this guide for more ideas and resources.

Wellness Bulletin Board Ideas

Most workplaces have at least one employee bulletin board located in a central area. Get permission to use part of that bulletin board as the “Wellness Corner”, or obtain upper management approval to create a bulletin board dedicated to wellness. Wellness bulletin board ideas include:

• White 8 1/2″ x 11″ flyers will be ignored. Use color or nonstandard size and shape when possible.
• Change your bulletin boards frequently. If they remain the same too long, they become “white noise.”
• Play “Dialing for Dollars” to expand bulletin board attention. Make a random phone call and ask an employee to name the health fact of the day as listed on the health bulletin board. Award nominal prizes to winners. Use an “activities calendar” with targeted advertisements, football schedules, recipes, etc. that will encourage keeping the calendar updated and utilized.

Wellness Library

Establish a wellness program library in a central area that has easy employee access. Resources and ideas for the wellness library might include:

• A local health resources guide with referral lists to help workers hook up with resources if onsite resources can’t be given. Keep referral lists in a 3-ring binder and update monthly.
• A brief, periodic wellness newsletter or update flyer distributed to workers via their paycheck or department gatherings.
• A variety of consumer books, magazines, videos, and articles related to great health. Solicit employee donations of current titles and recyclable items. Urge staff members to checkout materials for loan. Update resources regularly.
• Healthy resources are available at local libraries. Publicize those resources within your onsite wellness library.
• Health magazines can be kept in the employee break area.
• Set-up a consumer health information bin that is updated with articles and pertinent information regarding consumerism and health care. Check the resource listings at the end of this guide for more ideas.
• Free brochures materials can be obtained from local non-profit agencies (American Red Cross, Heart Association, Cancer Society, Lung Association), and made available in employee areas. See website listings and other resources in the back of this guide for more ideas regarding no cost health resources.

New Year’s Resolution Bulletin Board

• Have workers voluntarily write down their health-related New Year’s resolutions on 3″ x 5″ index cards with their names on the back.
• Post the cards in the form of a collage on the wellness bulletin board.
• Leave the cards up for about two weeks, and then store them in a secure wellness file.
• Post the cards near the end of February to remind employees of their goals and self-commitments.
• Take the cards down again after another week and again store in a secure file.
• Mail the cards back to the people along with wellness program promotions or other information announcements at the end of March.
• During the year, continue to provide wellness opportunities, support groups, or related activities.