Why Wellness

Chronic diseases related to lifestyle account for 75% of national medical costs. Eleven separate studies by the Centers for Disease Control suggest that worksite wellness programs can produce significant improvements in employee health. Although programs that zero in on the high-risk population may seem like the best strategy, groundbreaking research from the University of Michigan confirms that the major opportunity for economic impact is keeping low-risk employees from moving into higher-risk categories.

"In the United States alone, the number of overweight adults increased from 61 to 65 percent during the past five years, and childhood obesity grew 10 percent, from 27 to 30 percent of children.”

The message of wellness has never been more loud and clear. Some consider employee wellness “the final frontier in trying to manage healthcare costs”. After years of focusing on the cost of claims through managed care and discount programs, the industry moved toward consumerism – an initiative to change spending habits based on cost-shifting. While these initiatives have helped to slow the crisis, the trend remains out of control. We must focus on decreasing utilization - and that begins with better health.

Sources
Centers for Disease Control. Chronic Disease Overview 2007
Centers for Disease Control. Partnership for Prevention 2006
Edington DW. Burton WN. Health and Productivity
Pilzer, Paul Zane, The Wellness Revolution