Can a workplace wellness program actually result in a return on investment in your workplace? Our Safety Training Tips editor says yes, it can, though patience is required because the greatest return on investment takes an average of 3 to 5 years. But consider the effect on just one costly health issue, such as weight.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 1 in 5 American adults are now considered obese, and more than half of all Americans are overweight. Since the early 1960s, the percent of overweight American adults has increased from 45 percent to 65 percent.
Help your workers determine if they are overweight by showing them how to calculate their body mass index, or BMI. Have trainees complete the worksheet below. Bring a calculator (or several) to the meeting and help trainees make the calculations required.
Whatever safety meeting you need, chances are you’ll find it prewritten and ready to use in BLR’s Safety Meetings Library on CD. Try it at no cost or risk. Here’s how.
How to Calculate Your BMI
To determine BMI, you need to do a little math, using the following formula:
Weight (in pounds)
———————————————— x 703 = BMI
Height (in inches) x Height (in inches)
For example, say a person is 5’7” (67 inches tall) and weighs 140 pounds:
BMI = _140 _ x 703 = 21.9
67 x 67
Calculate your BMI:
———————— x 703 = ————— (your BMI)
Are you maintaining a healthy weight? For adults, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 indicates a healthy weight. A person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a person with a BMI over 30 is considered obese.
When trainees are finished calculating their BMI, discuss the U.S. Surgeon General’s suggestions for maintaining a healthy weight. To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, the surgeon general suggests three simple steps:
1. Be active:
-
Keep physically active to balance the calories you consume.
- Be physically active for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.
2. Eat well:
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Select sensible portion sizes of nutritious food.
- Follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines).
3. Aim for a healthy weight:
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If you’re overweight or obese, losing just 10 percent of your body weight can improve your health.
- If you need to lose weight, do so gradually—one-half to 2 pounds a week.
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By encouraging and equipping your workers with the information and resources to lose weight, you will be saving your employer money in lost worktime from injuries and illnesses, health insurance expenses, and more. But those savings may take some time to show up if you have a number of overweight workers who need to lose weight safely at a pound or 2 a week for 6 months or more.
Why It Matters
- The surgeon general reports that more than half of American adults do not get enough exercise, and a quarter of all American adults get no exercise at all.
- Researchers estimate that preventable illnesses make up approximately 70 percent of the burden of illness and the associated cost.
- More than 95 percent of the nation’s health expenditures, including most of the billions of dollars employers spend on health coverage, are committed to diagnosing and treating disease only after it becomes manifest.
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