Title: Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice in the Workplace
1Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice in the
Workplace
- Staywell Coordinators Meeting
- May 6, 2009
- Kirsten Aird, MPH
- Workforce Capacity Manager
2Why is Wellness Important in Worksites
- Healthy behaviors are not all about personal
responsibility - We spend nearly 1/3 of our life at work
- Health care costs
- Productivity
- Morale
3Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1985
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
4Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1986
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
5Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1987
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
6Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1988
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
7Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults BRFSS, 1989
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
8Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1990
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
9Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1991
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519
10Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1992
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519
11Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1993
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519
12Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1994
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519
13Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1995
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519
14Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1996
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519
15Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1997
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519 20
16Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1998
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519 20
17Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1999
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519 20
18Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2000
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519 20
19Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2001
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519 2024 25
20Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults BRFSS, 2002
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519 2024 25
21Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2003
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519 2024 25
22Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2004
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519 2024 25
23Obesity Trends Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2005
(BMI 30, or 30 lbs overweight for 5 4
person)
No Data lt10 1014
1519 2024 2529
30
24Percentage of Obesity Among Adult Oregonians,
1993 - 2007
25Eat 5 or More Fruits Vegetables/DayOregon Data
2007 BRFSS and 2007 OHT
26So What is Happening?
- Genetic changes?
- Less will power?
- Less informed?
- Or
- Have we built a toxic environment?
27What does our own experience at work tell us?
- How often do people bring in food to share? What
kind of food is it? - If your organization is hosting an all-day
meeting, what food and beverage would you expect
to see served? - Is there a Weight Watchers group for employees at
your worksite? - Are there vending machines at your worksite?
What is offered?
28Place Matters
- We spend 1/3 of our time at work what we see and
smell at work influences what we put in our
mouths - We all have a responsibility to be good stewards
of the publics dollar. Are we doing the best we
can?
29- The changes in eating and exercise behaviors that
are driving the obesity epidemic are largely due
to an environment that encourages the former and
discourages the latter (Hill Jo, Peters JC. 1998.
Environmental contributions to the obesity
epidemic. Science 28012371-74)
30Whats Missing?
- Environmental and policy approaches that modify
the environment rather than relying solely on the
individual. - Changes that reduce barriers and support healthy
lifestyles. - Interventions focused on institutional, community
and policy levels to effect population change.
31The story of one section
- The Health Promotion and Chronic Disease
Prevention Section set out to - Make it easier to avoid unhealthy food and have
access to healthy food when shared at work - Assure that health was the optimal default at any
meeting we convened - Walk our talk
32Key components of HPCDPs policy
- If you bring food to the office to share, please
make sure you provide a healthy option. - Food to be shared with the office (from
vacations, leftovers, etc.) can only be shared in
the Kitchen
33Key components of HPCDPs policy
- Water, tea, ice tea can be offered for meetings
less than 4 hours - If serving a meal (meeting is 4 hours or longer),
follow healthy eating guidelines - Eat Smart North Carolina
- University of Minnesota School of Public Health
Guidelines for Offering Healthy Foods at
Meetings, Seminars, and Catered Events - American Cancer Societies Meeting Well tool
34So, how did this really go?
- New things are always hard, even for the
preachers and the choir. It takes practice! - What people said
- What people did
35Small Steps Can Make a Big Difference
- Discussion about what is possible at work
- What kind of food would like to see served at
meetings or events you host? - Does it help you, or others, if tempting food
isnt around at work? - What would you (personally) be willing to change
to assure the healthy choice is the easy choice? - Is there a Weight Watchers program in the
building? - Would you consider starting a Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) program at your agency? - Where do you think your agency could begin to
assure the healthy choice is the easy choice?
36Resources
- Worksite Program California Fit Business Kit!
http//ww2.cdph.ca.gov/programs/cpns/Pages/Worksit
eFitBusinessKit.aspx2 - Links to Healthy Meeting Policies, Vending
Machine and Food and Beverage Standards, Healthy
Dining Menu Guidelines, Simple Steps to Ordering
Farm Fresh Produce for the Worksite, A Guide to
Establishing a Worksite Farmers Market - Guidelines for Offering Healthy Foods at
Meetings, Seminars and Catered Events University
of Minnesota School of Public Health
http//www.sph.umn.edu/img/assets/9103/Nutrition_G
uide.pdf
37Resources
- American Cancer Society, Meeting Well A Tool for
Planning Healthy Meetings and Events
http//www.fightcancer.org/ACSWW/WorkplacePrograms
/MeetingWell/2513.00-MeetingWellGuide.pdf - Centers for Disease Control Choosing Foods and
Beverages for Healthy Meetings, Conferences and
Events http//www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/hwi/policie
s/Healthy_Worksite_Food.pdf - CDC Garden Market Example http//www.cdc.gov/nccdp
hp/dnpa/hwi/toolkits/gardenmarket/example.htm
38Thank you!
- Kirsten Aird
- Kirsten.G.aird_at_state.or.us
- 971-673-1053