Stress in the Workplace: A Costly Epidemic

Three out of every four American workers describe their work as stressful. And the problem is not limited to these shores. In fact, occupational stress has been defined as a "global epidemic" by the United Nations' International Labor Organization.

While the physical effects of this epidemic are often emphasized, the economic consequences also are alarming. Workplace stress costs U.S. employers an estimated $200 billion per year in
absenteeism, lower productivity, staff turnover, workers' compensation, medical insurance and other stress-related expenses. Considering this, stress management may be business's most important challenge of the 21st century. To read more, click here.

Fitcorp is a national leader in the delivery of corporate fitness services. By taking advantage of the Fitcorp Benefit, your company can become healthier and more productive and ultimately reduce your corporate health care costs. To learn how Fitcorp can help you meet your corporate fitness goals, please contact Mike Parent, 617-375-5600 x.114

Obesity A More Costly Workplace Health Issue Than Smoking Workers' weight problems cost companies billions

Obesity not only takes its toll on health, it also has an impact on a company's bottom line. A new report by The Conference Board, a business research group, finds that obese employees cost U.S. private employers an estimated $45 billion annually in medical expenditures and work loss.

The report examines the financial and ethical questions surrounding whether, and how, U.S. companies should address the obesity epidemic.

"Employers need to realize that obesity is not solely a health and wellness issue," said Labor Economist Linda Barrington, Research Director of The Conference Board Management Excellence Program and co-author of the report.

"Employees' obesity-related health problems in the United States are costing companies billions of dollars each year in medical coverage and absenteeism. Employers need to pay attention to their workers' weights, for the good of the bottom line, as well as the good of the employees and of society," she said. To read the report's findings, click here:

Fitcorp is a national leader in the delivery of corporate fitness services. By taking advantage of the Fitcorp Benefit, your company can become healthier and more productive and ultimately reduce your corporate health care costs. To learn how Fitcorp can help you meet your corporate fitness goals, please contact Mike Parent, 617-375-5600 x.114

Corporations save big

Studies of big corporations that have been involved in in-depth health promotion and disease prevention programs for several years show big monetary returns on their investments.
A study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion in 1999 showed that the $1.9 million that Citibank spent on a health management program resulted in $7 million savings in reduced medical costs and absenteeism.
Two studies of the first long-term health and wellness program at Johnson & Johnson, covering the years 1990-99, showed $225 overall savings per employee per year since 1995. The articles were printed in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine in January and May of 2002.
Coors Brewing Co., a pioneer in workplace wellness programs, had a return of $6.15 per $1 invested over six years, according to a study by health care specialist Zoezi Inc. That same study showed Steelcase had a return of $5.80 for every $1 spent over five years, Equitable Life Assurance $5.52 over its first year, and Travelers Corp., $3.40, over its first year. Read more:

Fitcorp is a national leader in the delivery of corporate fitness services. By taking advantage of the Fitcorp Benefit, your company can become healthier and more productive and ultimately reduce your corporate health care costs. To learn how Fitcorp can help you meet your corporate fitness goals, please contact Mike Parent, 617-375-5600 x.114

Company wellness programs improve health, cut costs

Employee wellness programs just may be the cure for companies struggling to keep up with rapidly rising health care costs.
And proponents say that in addition to saving companies money, the programs are an effective way to help employees live healthier lives.
Jeff and Linda Pond of Virginia even suggest that Linda's company wellness program may have saved Jeff's life.
Two years ago, Pond received a letter informing him that his annual blood test results indicated he might have prostate cancer. The letter advised him to consult his physician.
Pond is now six weeks out of surgery to treat early stage prostate cancer and says things are "back to normal," thanks to Linda's employee wellness program at Quest Diagnostics, which provided the free blood tests that initially detected signs of cancer.
"My cancer would have gone undetected for years, and likely wouldn't have been nearly as treatable as it is," Pond said, adding that early detection saved him from having to go through more intensive -- and expensive -- treatments down the road.
It is this concept of preventative care that spurred the CEO of Quest Diagnostics -- where Linda works as a registered nurse -- to implement the company's wellness program four years ago, said Steve Burton, vice president of health and wellness services at Quest Diagnostics.
The company's voluntary program, Healthy Quest, provides employees, their spouses and domestic partners with a personalized health report -- called Blueprint for Wellness -- based on laboratory testing. The program also provides educational materials, weight-loss support groups, fitness classes, a smoking cessation program and personal counseling sessions. Employees who participate in the free program are given $10 bi-weekly as an incentive, Burton said.
So what's in it for the company?

Fitcorp is a national leader in the delivery of corporate fitness services. By taking advantage of the Fitcorp Benefit, your company can become healthier and more productive and ultimately reduce your corporate health care costs. To learn how Fitcorp can help you reach your corporate fitness goals, contact Mike Parent 617-375-5600 x.114

Exploding Fitness Myths

Getting Americans off the couch and onto their feet could save an estimated 200,000 lives a year, says the surgeon general. Yet most of us are either sedentary or only minimally active. Confusion may keep many couch potatoes from getting into shape. People still ask questions like: How often should I exercise? (The more, the better, but at least 30 minutes nearly every day.) Does it have to be 30 minutes straight? (No, shorter bouts are fine.) Do I need to go to the gym? (No, walking, dancing, lawn mowing, and gardening are fine, if they're intense enough.) Still, in a world where infomercials, magazines, videos, and friends may give conflicting advice, misunderstanding abounds. To read more click here.

A Complete Guide to Keeping Your Metabolism Strong and Healthy

Learn everything you need to know to keep your metabolism in check.

Every cell in your body requires energy to function―whether it’s delivering nutrients to your brain, pumping oxygen from your lungs to your muscles during a long power walk, or producing infection-fighting white blood cells deep in your bone marrow. Metabolism is the name for the system by which the body converts the calories in food to energy (blood sugar) to perform these and many other functions.

Many factors contribute to your metabolism, including heredity. You’re born with an internal speedometer that regulates your base metabolic rate (BMR), the pace at which your body uses energy when you’re at rest. BMR accounts for approximately 60 percent of the total energy an average person expends in a day. (The rest is used in digestion, exercise, and non-exercise activities―showering, chopping vegetables, or fidgeting.) “We are not sure what makes people different in terms of metabolism; the genes determining that have yet to be identified, but it’s being explored,” says Gary Miller, PhD, associate professor of health and exercise science at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Read more

26 Boston Marathon Tips

1. Eat things that you’ve eaten many times before your long runs. Don’t introduce foreign foods now; you may pay for it on the race course.
2. Take that piece of banana offered and chomp on that sports bar handed out at mile 6.
3. Marathon's are mental. Think you can and you will
   
4. Pace yourself correctly
5. Take into account the weather, the course terrain and how you feel.
6. Be careful with power gels and energy replacement products, make sure that you have experimented with them previously
   
7. Mentally divide the race into sections, this will help you to have something to focus on, other than the finish line 26.2 miles away.
   
8. It's okay to walk every few miles. This will give your legs an opportunity to recharge
   
9. Gradually cool down after the marathon, to help with the stiffness
10. Don't waste energy trying to weave your way through the crowd of runners in front of you.
    
11. No NEW shoes -- wear shoes that are already broken in
12. Same thing goes for socks -- race day is NOT the time to be experimenting
13. Don't go to the first toilets you come to, unless you really need to.
    
14. Bring a throw-a-way clothes in the of event of cool temperatures prior to the race. Don't worry the BAA donates them to charity.
    
15. Don't forget sunscreen, even though its cloudy you can still get a nasty sunburn. Did I just channel your mother?
16. Be sure to stretch and do a dynamic warm up at the starting lines, you'll have plenty of time after the bus drops you off and before the start of the race
    
17. Drink a combination of sports drink and water
18. Have dry clothes available at the finish line
    
19. Eat a post race snack, you'll need to reload your carb storage
    
20. Write your name on your shirt in big letters, that way the crowd can call your name to give you support
21. Layout your clothing and gear the night before, no need to hunt around for it, in the AM. You'll have enough on your mind.
    
22. Take a poncho or a large plastic garbage bag and cut a hole in it for your head in case race day morning is wet. We all know too well the weather in Boston is unpredictable.
    
23. Bring a snack and a drink to the race start area, this way you can avoid the 1st, first aid station which tends to get really crowded.
24. Pinning your gel packets to your shorts waistband, then flip them inside so they don't flop around. In Boston they don't hand out GU until mile 17 and if you can't wait until then you'll need to supply your own.
25. Take the time to visit the massage folks afterward, again anything to help with the stiffness
    
26. Savor the moment! You trained hard and deserved to bask in the glory of your accomplishments! Good luck!
    
    

Quick Breakfast Ideas

Almond-Butter-and-Raisin Sandwich
Prep time: 1 minute

• 2 Tbsp almond butter
• 2 Kashi waffles
• 1 Tbsp raisins
  

Spread the almond butter on the waffles. Sprinkle the raisins over one waffle and top with the other.
For more quick breakfast ideas click here.

Eat to Beat the Blues

We’ve all turned to food after a bad day. But instead of reaching for whatever seems soothing, eat something that science shows may truly lift your spirits.

• Pick fruit, vegetables, fish and other whole foods. In a recent study of close to 3,500 men and women published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, those who reported eating a diet rich in whole foods in the previous year were less likely to report feeling depressed than those who ate lots of desserts, fried foods, processed meats, refined grains and high-fat dairy products. Previous studies have shown that antioxidants in fruits and vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids in fish are associated with lower risk of depression. Folate, a B vitamin found in dark green vegetables like spinach, beans and citrus, affects neurotransmitters that impact mood. It’s possible that the protective effect of the whole-food diet comes from a cumulative effect of these nutrients, says lead study author Tasnime N. Akbaraly, Ph.D.
• Go ahead: order the bagel. In a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, people who for a year followed a very-low-carbohydrate diet—which allowed only 20 to 40 grams of carbs daily, about the amount in just 1⁄2 cup of rice plus one piece of bread—experienced more depression, anxiety and anger than those assigned to a low-fat, high-carb diet that focused on low-fat dairy, whole grains, fruit and beans. Researchers suspect that carbs promote the production of serotonin, a feel-good brain chemical. Also, the challenge of following such a restrictive low-carb diet for a full year may have negatively impacted mood, says study author Grant D. Brinkworth, Ph.D. Read more
  

How to ease back into shape this spring and summer

After a long winter of reduced activity or inactivity you might be tempted to get outside and train as soon as the weather improves. You may also be tempted to exercise at the same level you did at the end of the last season. But such enthusiasm often leads to early season injuries. If you changed your routine for the winter, you need to get back into shape slowly. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you head out the door this spring.

1. Slow but Steady. Don’t succumb to the weekend warrior syndrome. Try to get some exercise 3-4 times per week on alternate days. One of the best ways to get injured or sore is to go hard all weekend and do nothing during the week.
2. Monitor Your Level of Exertion. Use the perceived exertion scale, the talk test, or the heart rate range to help you determine an appropriate intensity level. Stay at the lower end of the scale (11-13) and build up over several weeks.
3. Increase Your Training Slowly. Increasing training (mileage, time or amount of weight lifted) more than 10 percent per week increases your risk of injury. To avoid this, increase your training gradually over the weeks.
4. Avoid All-Out Efforts Until You Build a Solid Base of Fitness. Depending upon how much inactivity you had over the winter, it could take as long as 6 weeks to re-establish a solid fitness base. Start your exercise program with slow, steady aerobic sessions. When you add intervals or all-out efforts, make sure you allow enough rest and recovery (at least 48 hours) between those hard effort training days.
5. Follow a Training Program and Keep Records. If you really want to build back up to optimal fitness, it helps to establish a training plan and stick with it. There are many training programs for all types of sports and having one is not only good motivation, but it helps keep you from doing too much too soon.
6. Cut Yourself Some Slack. If you took the winter off, don't expect to be back to peak fitness in a week or two. It's ok to go slow and just enjoy being outside again. There's plenty of summer left, so don't worry about going a bit slower in the beginning.
7. Train With Others at Your Fitness Level. If you can find a few people with the same fitness level and goals as you, it can help keep you progressing at a good pace. Training with those who are farther along will only encourage you to overdo it, get injured or feel ‘behind’ in your training. Workouts with more fit people can be motivating and help you improve, but only after you have a good solid base to work with. Otherwise they can be harmful.
8. Remember to Have Fun. Keep in mind that this is Spring Training which is a time for fun, light-hearted exercise. You aren't competing and you aren't burnt out yet. So just relax and enjoy your activity.
   

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By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com
Updated: February 29, 2008

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

©2009 About.com, Inc., a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.

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