Benefits of Nutritional Practices in the Workplace Fitness programs are imperative to improving overall health. However, when fitness programs are paired with poor eating habits workouts can become counterproductive. Our bodies are designed to break down the food we put into it and convert it to energy that enables us to function on a day-to-day basis. Many working Americans neglect their diet because it is difficult to be disciplined enough to find time to prepare healthy meals when fast food has become so easily accessible. Consistently dieting in a poor manner can lead to an energy imbalance and increase the risk for obesity. In addition, poor eating is associated with increased risk for many diseases, including several of the leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes (CDC, 2012). These risks can decrease employee productivity and drive up healthcare costs that can be detrimental to a company’s success. The most common downfall of employees is engaging in the self-defeating behavior of making poor eating choices because of the convenience. Typically, Americans live a very fast paced life and employees are often held to brief lunch breaks making it difficult to find access to fresh meals and as a result, employees end up consuming fatty, processed foods. One way to avoid this is to meal prep. By taking one to two days a week to prepare meals for the entire week, employees can save time, money, and shed pounds quicker. Most pre-prepared meals consist of a type of lean meat such as chicken, turkey, or fish and leafy greens or vegetables on the side. By preparing your meals and snacks at the beginning of the week and bringing them into work, you provide your body with the nutrients that it needs to per... ... middle of paper ... ...trieved from: http://www.webmd.com/diet/paleo-diet. Phoenix Business Journal. (2013). “Workplace wellness: CrossFit gives clients a variety of tools to succeed”. Retrieved from: http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/print-edition/2011/12/09/workplace-wellness-crossfit-gives.html. Pronk, Nicolaas P. & Kottke, Thomas E. (2009). “Physical activity promotion as a strategic corporate priority to improve worker health and business performance, Preventive Medicine,” Volume 49, Issue 4, October 2009, Pages 316-321, ISSN 0091-7435, Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743509003296. Robbins, S., & Judge , T. (2013). Organizational behavior. (15th ed.). Prentice Hall. (p. 186, 212-219) Smith, Jacuelyn. (2013). “America’s Happiest Companies”. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/12/10/americas-happiest-companies-2/.
Employee wellness programs, also known as a “worksite wellness program”, are programs that are designed to promote and support the health, safety, and well being of a company’s employees. Wellness programs are meant to improve the health of the staff, their morale, and in turn also help improve their productivity. There are many components that make up employee wellness programs, for example; Health Screenings, Health Fairs, Fitness classes, Smoking cessation classes, and even wellness issue workshops. Employers have begun adopting these programs in hopes of helping their employees while they are at an age when health interventions can still help transform their long-term health choice. This paper will focus on trends found between employee weight and productivity, and the impacts these could have on a business overall.
Investigate the contemporary body of knowledge that underpins the current recommendations for exercise programming in the pursuit of improved health.
Ministry of Health. (2013). Promote Physical Activity. – Healthy Environments. Retrieved December 3, 2013, from http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/environments/whttps://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Physical-Activity/Keep-Active-at-Work#.Uqd295FxsZY
Ultimately, as society becomes more lethargic from technology consistently integrating further, the importance of adopting a fitness routine increases; especially, to maintain a healthier physique, increase their longevity, and introduce more endorphins. Every physically capable adult should adopt a fitness routine in order to live a happier and healthier lifestyle. Creating a fitness routine is easy enough that many adults can reap the benefits. These simple proactive, preventative measures will help improve the overall quality of life in the information
According to the USDA, at the start of century 21st American people have increased their daily caloric intake by consuming five hundred calories more than in 1970. As cited by Whitney & Rolfes (2011), there are many recognized causes of obesity such as genetics, environment, culture, socioeconomic, and metabolism among others; but the cause most evident is that food intake is higher than the calories burned in physical activity. Excess of energy from food is stored in the body as fat causing an increase of weight. During the course of the last 40 years, obesity has grown enormously in the United States and the rates remain on the rise (pgs. 272-273).
During the week for 1 hour in the evenings I join with a group of professionals of Cross-Fitters near Love Field Airport. Everyone is motivated to endure a tough workout that consists of a combination of fast paced burpees, push-ups and countless squats. What I discovered is most of the young and middle aged grouped participants work for Southwest Airlines. I’ve selected Southwest Airlines because of the uniqueness of the company’s business strategy and to know my Crossfit partners speak highly of Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines has unique values, vision and mission statements that gear towards their employee’s motivation. They have formulated a business strategy by creating a mission and vision statement that encompasses the company’s
With America’s obesity rate on the rise a CrossFit gym that welcomes beginners, thoroughly teaches and explains each exercise and can offer a group atmosphere that’s welcoming to individuals who have never worked out before could help decrease the obesity rate. The group aspect of CrossFit is beneficial because it’s a motivator to keep attending workouts and to reach the goals you have personally set. Attending a CrossFit gym could also be a motivator because not only is the coach pushing them to get through the workout but the other members of the class are pushing each
...nt. Wellness programs in workplaces have also become increasingly popular. These programs have not only demonstrated to be clinically effective but also cost effective. Companies are willing to invest to improve their productivity and decrease insurance cost. These programs will continue to grow in all fields and will require the need for more ND’s to participate. Promoting these programs can only lead to positive improvements from a patient to a corporate perspective.
Black, Tamara. 2008. Exercise and Fitness in a U.S. Commercial Gym.Ann Arbor, Mich.: University Microfilms International.
With the health care costs reaching high number there is no wonder we have a large number of absenteeism. So many wait to the last possible painstaking work day to decide to see a doctor about their aliment, and all of that could be prevented. Preventing oneself to have to take time off from work is one way to keep costs low. There are so many areas that need to be addressed when it comes to what is going to slow us down as a company. According to estimates by Dr. Jaime Claudio(1991), a corporate wellness consultant for Health Plus, a provider of health-care insurance, a comprehensive eating awareness and weight- management program designed to improve long-term habits could generate an 80% reduction in the incidence of potential problems caused by obesity in the workplace. These problems include hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and diminished work efficiency. Obesity is not the only eating disorder that is a problem, there is bulimia and anorexia. Smoking, drinking, substance abuse, and stress are problems that are brought into the workplace and stop productivity. We have to be aware of issues that are there but are not usually thought of as an illness.
Obesity and overweight remain the two major social problems in the United States. Apart from the fact that obesity and overweight are dangerous by themselves, they also cause a variety of negative health consequences. Our lives our overloaded with tasks and obligations, and we often choose to eat something fast. “Fast”, however, does not necessarily imply “useful”, and more and more people face the risks of becoming obese even at young age. Because obesity has already become a national i...
Furthermore, if we over consume foods without properly assessing their nutritional value, our bodies will be unable to completely process them, ultimately leading to obesity. Since the 1980’s, obesity rates around the world have risen significantly. In the United States, current statistics indicate that one in every three people is medically obese. This statistic has placed the United States as the second most obese country in the world, next to Mexico. These increasing causes of obesity are linked to the declining national diet and nutritional profile, as well as lifestyle trends in these countries.
As Americans, we’re always on the go. When hungry and have no time there are many fast and healthy items available. Many people who say that fast food chains is the main cause of obesity in America because there are plenty of fast food restaurants on every block with very few healthy options ("Do Fast Food Restaurants Contribute to Obesity?"). Fast food business are very easy to find and offer quick service, but there are other options that are healthy, especially in urban areas. Restaurants such as Panera offer a range of items that are healthy and offer a quick service for those on a schedule. In addition to these healthier options, it is also possible to pack their own snack or meal. People often become lazy when it comes to just cooking their meals at home. This choice allows the customer, to control what they eat.
America’s obesity has raised greatly over time. This is because people over eating and don’t know how to exercise. Cogan and Ernsberger state that, “As much as 40 percent to 70 percent of the U.S. population is trying to lose weight, at any given time, youn...
It essential that managers are aware of their employees physical needs while in the work place to include ensuring t...