Is Your Workplace Protecting or Harming Your Good Health?

Americans of all ages are paying a heavy price for their unhealthy lifestyle habits. More than three in five Americans are overweight, and nearly one in three is obese. ¹ Adult-onset diabetes, once seen in adults only, now affects children in their teens.² Autopsies performed on persons under the age of 20 show the presence of arterial plaque, indicating the onset of cardiovascular disease had already begun.³

The losses stacking up against us are staggering. And the workplace, while not ultimately responsible for our health, can do a better job of supporting versus sabotaging our good health.

Below is a simple checklist to help you determine how healthful your workplace is:

• Vending machines offering junk food containing large amounts of sugar, refined carbohydrates, trans fatty acids, and sodium are nowhere to be found.
• Whole fresh fruits and vegetables (organic if possible), whole grain breads and bagels, high-quality herbal teas and filtered water are served at meetings.
• A Breakfast of Champions, instead of a box of doughnuts or bagels and cream cheese, is served when early morning meetings are planned. One example of A Breakfast of Champions includes a 4-ounce serving of fresh orange juice, a 4-ounce serving of high protein/low sugar granola, a container of plain nonfat or low fat organic yogurt and a fresh fruit bowl.
• At least one healthy, vegetarian-friendly meal option is offered at company-sponsored events and in the employee cafeteria.
• Styrofoam cups and food containers serving hot liquids and fatty foods have been replaced by less toxic options as Styrofoam containers, which emit styrene, an endocrine disruptor and possible carcinogen.4
• Hydrogenated oil-laden, non-dairy coffee creamers which contain trans fatty acids, proven to have a deleterious effect on one's cholesterol, have been replaced with healthier options (organic soy or dairy cream). Natural coffee filters are used in place of bleached filters which contain dioxins, one of the most toxic chemicals known and a suspect in causing cancer.
• There's a scale so employees can monitor their weight.
• Educational literature is inserted in paycheck envelopes, found in lunchrooms or posted on bulletin boards.
• Employee benefit plans are designed to stress prevention and cover costs for smoking cessation programs and health club memberships as well as visits to dietitians and massage therapists.
• Employees are encouraged to bike to work and provided a safe place to store their bicycles while working and an on-site shower.
• On-site health screenings are offered and community health fairs publicized.
• On-site lunchtime lectures are offered to educate employees on how to prevent and cope with lifestyle-related health concerns, including obesity, adult-onset diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
• Employees are not exposed to second-hand smoke, as it is hazardous to one's health.

While these efforts take time to plan and will take awhile to be embraced by the targeted population, the long-term benefits are certain and worth the investment. I challenge organizations to...

• put their best foot forward, to step up to the plate and help people get their health back.
• put employees' health before profits.
• be part of the solution versus part of the problem.

This checklist was developed by Laura Bruzas, editor of Healthy Dining Chicago (HDC). Laura advocates embracing a healthy lifestyle as the best offense for disease prevention and management. Prior to launching HDC, she was an award-winning HR Director for fifteen years. If you would like Laura to pay your office a visit and demonstrate how making small changes can yield big health dividends and improve your bottom line, call 312.666.9979.

¹ American Obesity Association
² American Heart Association
³ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
³ The Green Guide Newsletter No. 77, a publication of the Green Guide Institute