Now that over six of 10 Americans are classified as overweight or obese, it’s time for employers to help fight the battle of the bulge. Every year, excess weight costs businesses some $117 billion in lost productivity and increased health-care costs (and you know who ends up picking up those costs). Employers who help workers get in shape could boost their bottom line!

How can employers help?

• Add bottled water to beverage vending machines
• Add healthy snacks like nuts and fruit to snack vending machines
• Encouraging employees to walk at noon, or during short morning or afternoon breaks
• Adding clear and safe walking paths outside, and maintaining them
• Providing enough time for workers to head to the gym at noon, perhaps with flexible scheduling
• Supporting physical activity and breaks throughout the day, especially during meetings
• Offering healthy food at meetings and in the cafeteria
• Providing educational materials on health and fitness
• Partnering with a local health care provider for classes and support in smoking cessation and stress management
• Partnering with a local gym or Y for fitness classes before or after work – and offering the space for the class, and a place for employees to change clothes (and maybe even shower)
• Putting in bike racks, and maybe even a basketball hoop or half-court

Why not suggest some of the changes at your workplace, or set a good example by organizing a lunchtime stroll?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 at 6:41 am and is filed under Career, Exercise and fitness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.