Why are Worksite Wellness Programs Important?!
For the last half of a decade, healthcare costs and spending has been increasing at an incredible rate. Healthcare spending doubles every 10 years! If this trend continues one could expect many small businesses to fold due to their decreasing margin of profit associated with increased healthcare costs. Fortunately, worksite wellness programs can step in here and prevent that from happening. Nearly 75% of medical costs (about 1.8 trillion dollars/year) are caused by chronic diseases - like heart attacks, stroke, cancer, diabetes and arthritis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic diseases are... "among the most common, costly and preventable of all health problems in the U.S."
Worksite Wellness Programs work by promoting a behavioral, cultural and environmental change for the employee and business. Since chronic diseases are caused by modifiable risk behaviors, these programs greatly decrease the risk of attaining these costly morbidities by providing the means for employees to change their unhealthy behaviors and attain and sustain a healthier lifestyle.
Worksite Wellness Programs work by promoting a behavioral, cultural and environmental change for the employee and business. Since chronic diseases are caused by modifiable risk behaviors, these programs greatly decrease the risk of attaining these costly morbidities by providing the means for employees to change their unhealthy behaviors and attain and sustain a healthier lifestyle.
- Many of the illnesses in the U.S. are PREVENTABLE
- Chronic Diseases (ex - heart attack, stroke, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, etc.)
- Lack of Physical Activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use & binge drinking responsible for most illness, suffering & death related to chronic disease
- Healthcare spending DOUBLES every 10 years
- Chronic Diseases = 75% of medical costs (1.8 trillion/year)
