Category Archives: Health

Workplace Wellness Seems to Really Work

Workplace Wellness Seems to Really Work

Investing in employee health cuts medical costs and ups productivity, heart experts say

By Robert Preidt

From MSN Health and Fitness

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) — Workplace wellness programs are an effective way to reduce major risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, says a new American Heart Association policy statement.

Each year, heart disease costs the United States about $304.6 billion, the association says. Companies spend 25 to 30 percent of their annual medical costs on employees with significant health risks, mainly because of their increased likelihood of experiencing heart disease and stroke, it says.

But the financial burden also falls on workers, it says, in the form of higher premiums, co-pays and deductibles, reduction or elimination of coverage and trade-offs between insurance benefits and wage or salary increases.

“Research shows that companies can save anywhere from $3 to $15 for every $1 spent on health and wellness within 12 to 18 months of implementing a [workplace wellness] program,” the statement’s lead author, Mercedes Carnethon, an assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a news release from the heart association.

“Beyond cost savings and increased productivity, visionary employers are realizing the value of an employee’s total health,” she said. “An effective worksite wellness program can attract exceptional employees, enhance morale and reduce organizational conflict.”

More than 130 million Americans are employed, according to the association, which means that workplace wellness programs have the potential to reach a sizable population.

“We are making great strides in workplace wellness, but we also know that half of employees don’t have access to these programs, mainly because they work in small companies or for employers that have a small number of employees at multiple sites,” Carnethon said. “We are hoping this paper shows employers large and small the benefits these programs may provide to both their employees and their bottom line.”

Keys to a successful program, according to the policy statement, include:

  • Smoking/tobacco cessation and prevention
  • Regular physical activity
  • Stress management/reduction
  • Early detection/screening
  • Nutrition education and promotion
  • Weight management
  • Disease management
  • Cardiovascular disease education, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) training
  • Work environment changes that encourage healthy behaviors and promote occupational health and safety

The policy statement was published Sept 30 in Circulation.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on physical activity.

What is HealthCare.gov?

What is HealthCare.gov?

By Molly Edmonds

From HowStuffWorks.com

When you make a large purchase, such as a car, you’d probably like to know that you’re getting the best deal for your money. There are plenty of Web sites that can help you in this quest, and you can compare and contrast different makes, models, features and price points until you find the perfect car for your situation.

On July 1, 2010, the U.S. government unveiled HealthCare.gov. This new Web site is designed to offer the same sort of information and transparency about thehealth insurance market so that consumers can be sure they’re getting the best value. The creation of the Web site was a requirement of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that President Obama signed into law in March 2010, and the site is designed to provide comprehensive, easy-to-understand information on health insurance options.

HealthCare.gov presents extensive information on how the new health care reform legislation affects consumers, but it’s served up in a very personalized way. Whether you’re a pregnant woman in Ohio or a recent college graduate in Nevada, you can get information about how the law impacts your particular situation. For example, small business owners could visit a page that explains how the insurance marketplace is changing for them in the near future, as well as in 2014, when the final pieces of the legislation will be put into place.

The Web site also includes information on preventive care and how to compare the quality of care patients receive at local facilities, but its most notable feature is the insurance finder. For the first time ever, private plans and public plans have been cataloged together so that consumers can comparison-shop. This tool is designed to give consumers control in an area that has been so baffling for so many years. Rather than flipping through hundreds of pages of fine print or spending hours on the phone, consumers can now easily see the plans that are available to someone in their situation. On the next page, we’ll take a closer look at how this feature works.

Finding Insurance Options on HealthCare.gov

If you’re in the market for health insurance, HealthCare.gov can help you find specific options quickly and easily. All you have to do is answer a few simple questions, such as your state of residence, employment status, the number of people who need coverage and any relevant health issues. If you’re wary of providing the government with your information, know that the system is unable to retain any of the data you provide.

Based on this information, the insurance finder pulls up options that may be relevant to your situation. For example, a father of two who just lost his job would receive 10 options, including one about COBRA coverage, enrolling in a spouse’s plan, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

If this man decided that he wanted to purchase a new plan, he could enter his ZIP code to pull up specific companies offering insurance in that area. HealthCare.gov currently has information from more than 1,000 insurance carriers and more than 5,000 individual plans and products. The consumer can view each of the plans that a company offers, from the benefits to the doctors who are covered by the plan. The links to that information are provided by the insurance companies themselves, which means they have an incentive to provide easy-to-understand information and affordable care. After all, if you’re comparing a company that has a confusing benefit system and a byzantine Web site to a company that makes things very easy to understand, you’re more likely to go with the latter option.

In October 2010, HealthCare.gov will include pricing information for these plans, though it should be noted that those numbers will be only estimates. An individual would still have to go through the underwriting process at the insurance company and may be subject to a different fee. Still, the administration is hopeful that the basic estimates will give people a better idea of how much certain plans cost so that you won’t have to waste time pursuing one that’s completely out of your league. Though HealthCare.gov will provide pricing information, consumers can’t buy insurance through the site. For that, they’ll have to go directly to the insurer (HealthCare.gov lists contact information).

HealthCare.gov will continue to evolve until 2014. At that point, the site will also function as a portal to all state-administered insurance exchanges, which are required by the new legislation. In the short term, however, there are yellow feedback boxes located all over HealthCare.gov; the government is requesting user feedback on each page so that the site can continually be improved for consumers.

Don’t buy fake health insurance

Don’t buy fake health insurance

By Jen Haley

From CNN Money

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Massive unemployment and a changing health care system is creating a breeding ground for con artists. One of the fastest growing scams is fake health care coverage.

You may see ads stapled to neighborhood telephone polls, flyers left on your car or maybe you’ll get a phone call from someone who’s selling health insurance at extremely low rates, as low as $29.99 a month in some cases, says Jim Quiggle of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. The sad truth is that often these bogus policies pay little or nothing on claims, leaving consumers with exorbitant medical bills.

“Fake health plans won’t be licensed. If they were, regulators would be breathing down their necks. And the last thing they want is regulators to know what they’re up to,” says Quiggle.

If you’re going to buy health insurance, make sure you speak with family and friends to get recommendations, says Barry Johnson of Healthcare Insight, a fraud-prevention company.

If you get scammed, it’s not only a high medical debt you have to worry about. Besides the obvious hit to your credit score if you can’t pay those bills, you could be opening yourself up to ID theft if you give out sensitive information like your Social Security number or your credit card number.

“This could reach into your financial existence,” says Quiggle.

Older people on Medicare are particularly susceptible to scams, says Johnson. Mobile medical clinics may visit communities and offer “free” services, like tests or medical supplies like orthotics after you’ve provided your Medicare number. These con artists then use your number to make bogus Medicare claims against your policy. Make sure you protect your policy number as you would any other piece of identification.

Stroller Strides: Driven by Motherhood

Stroller Strides: Driven by Motherhood

Lisa Druxman’s fitness franchise has grown even faster than her children.

By Aliza Sherman

From Entrepreneur Magazine Online

What’s the difference between a mompreneur and an entrepreneur? According to Lisa Druxman of Stroller Strides, the difference is defined by the qualities of businesses women start.

“Either the type of business they create has something to do with kids or the way they run their business is supportive of family,” explains Druxman, who did both when she started Stroller Strides in the fall of 2001.

After a decade working in the fitness industry, Druxman became a mom and wanted motherhood to come “first and foremost” in her life instead of returning to 10-hour workdays. Rather than dropping off her infant son at a gym day care, she came up with an exercise routine she could do with him, much to her son’s delight. But something else led her to turn a personal exercise routine into a more formal class for other moms.

“I knew nothing about motherhood,” says Druxman. “I was having sleep issues, breastfeeding issues, identity crisis issues of leaving my career. I realized I needed to connect with other new moms.”

Druxman found working from home to be a blessing but not without its challenges.

“The thing about working with baby in tow is that you can never depend on your schedule,” she explains. “Any day can change because a nap is missed, the baby is crying, etc. I had to remain flexible, knowing that babies’ [schedules] are [sometimes] not dependable.”

To offset the unpredictability, Druxman hired a nanny part time for specific hours so others could depend on her for meetings or phone calls.

Within a year, her San Diego-based fitness class for moms with stroller-bound infants took off. The following year, Druxman knew she was onto something when requests poured in from moms across the country asking to take classes in their area. After consulting an attorney, she created a beta license to test her business idea nationwide. She offered only 10 licenses that year despite additional requests.

Working with consultants and franchise attorneys, Druxman turned Stroller Strides into a national franchise in 2004 while still basing the company headquarters out of her home.

“I bought my house because I knew I wanted it to be my home office,” says Druxman, who had five workstations custom-built into her home and 12 employees with keys. She established rules for the home-based office so her family could retain their privacy; however, at any given moment, there might be an employee sitting in her children’s room taking a call. Druxman refers to the home-based company days as “crazy” but also recalls them fondly.

Today, Druxman works from an office. Her children are in school full time with after-school activities so she is able to work more “traditional” work hours.

Says Druxman, “I still make up extra time in the wee hours of the morning. Of course I’m always connected via my iPhone.”

While the power of moms continues to drive Druxman’s business forward, she also acknowledges that motherhood is a challenge to her businessgrowth because it’s a constant challenge to balance work and home life. As both children and companies grow up, says Druxman, they each present daily sets of challenges that can be tough.

“There are never enough hours in the day, so you need to be super focused on what will give you the most bang for your buck in terms of time,” Druxman advises. “When you are working on your business, give it 100 percent [of your] attention. When you are with your kids, give them 100 percent. Don’t try to be everything to everyone.”

Druxman recommends saying no more and delegating when possible. “And keep a sense of humor when it all falls through.”

Feature: The Prevention Plan pushes for a healthier society

By Kate Foley, Fearless Ambition


Americans are faced with a growing epidemic. It can be found in every state, in most communities, even in many homes. It is spread through social messages, advertising and simple bad habits. This epidemic is unhealthy living, and there are forces fighting against it every day.

One man on the front lines for healthful lifestyles is Dr. Sami Bég, Associate Medical Director of U.S. Preventive Medicine. A medical doctor specializing in preventive medicine, he and his team have developed The Prevention Plan, a product marketed to companies to teach their employees healthy eating and living habits. The Prevention Plan currently serves about 60 companies and their employees, but Bég says the number of companies joining continues to rise.

Right now, Bég’s team is in the early stages of developing The Prevention Plan for Kids. The concept is based on the very real situation that American kids are becoming increasingly unhealthy, which could have serious effects, both short- and long-term.

“We are facing an epidemic,” Bég said. “Kids who normally would never be at risk for diseases like diabetes and heart problems are now being diagnosed with preconditions for these diseases.”

Bég says unhealthy diets and inactive lifestyles are the main problem. One attribute to this is a child’s home life.

“Parents don’t always know what’s best [for kids’ diets]. They were never taught healthy eating,” Bég said. “So bad habits they practice become the norm for a child who doesn’t know any better.”

However, home life is not the only factor that determines what a kid eats. Bég says one of the leading factors is the food and inactive lifestyle marketed to kids through advertisements and the media.

“It used to be that TV would mimic real life, but now real life mimics TV. The media needs to be responsible for their actions, their content and what they sell to kids.”

With all the new entertainment options, Bég says, kids are not going outside as much or engaging in their community. Instead of playing sports or doing outdoor activities like children of previous generations, today’s kids spend much of their time in front of the TV, watching shows or playing video games. Though this is obviously not the case for all children, it is making a significant impact on the overall generation. Bég is concerned that the growing rate of inactivity could lead to serious results for these children later in life.

“The life span of this upcoming generation is going to be shorter than that of their parents,” Bég said. “Kids’ life spans have decreased, which means we are going backwards. The status quo was  to not take this health concern seriously, but we are now beginning to see some progress. We need to continue to educate and bring people together in order to see a movement toward a healthier community.”

This is exactly what the Prevention Plan for Kids will try to do. As a supplement to the original Prevention Plan product, it will target children of company employees, teaching the entire family healthful living and eating habits through programs and modules. Lesson plans will cover topics like nutrition, safe and healthy exercise, understanding how the body works, and other engaging topics that will be entertaining as well as informative for kids.

Bég says there will also be a parents’ component to the plan, with advice on how to raise their kids, question and answer sections, and who to contact for other questions or concerns.

“The problem of an unhealthy America needs to be evaluated from various angles in order to come up with the most comprehensive solution.  The government needs to play a role, as does the media, businesses, schools, families and doctors,” Bég said. “Only when we connect the important stakeholders and provide them with a clear road map to a culture of wellness, can we create a sort of place where kids are engaged, motivated and inspired to be healthy.”

How to Avoid Menopausal Weight Gain

Jennifer Morris with Howdini interviews Elizabeth Somer a Registered Dietician and author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman’s Diet. Starting in our 30’s we begin trading muscle for fat.  Good news is you always have the ability to lose weight.  Increasing exercise throughout your 30’s and 40’s and of course keeping it up, is the key to not noticing the weight gain while menopause starts.  An hour of exercise a day with some weight lifting is very important to maintain muscle mass.  This will boost your metabolism and get you through it without unwanted weight gain.  Get movin’ girls and don’t blame Menopause for your weight gain.

The Benefits of a Kids Fitness Club

Photo by Flickr
Photo by Flickr

The Benefits of a Kids Fitness Club

By Dave O’Sullivan

Many cities around the country have a kids fitness club where they can go for exercise. These clubs are beneficial for kids that have no exercise in their lives, or if they are having problems with their weight. There are so many benefits to having a child participate in a club of this type. The lack of fitness and exercise that they might be experiencing can result in an overweight child or even a child that has no energy at all. Besides proper exercise, a child needs a good diet, which can be just as hard to monitor.

Group Activities

The kids fitness club offers kids a chance to participate in group activities that are more to their liking. They can play soccer, volleyball, basketball, and other games. Although these games are a form of exercise, kids have fun and do not see it as exercise. Making kids think they are having fun is the easiest way to having healthy and fit children.

Training for Team Sports

The clubs offer performance training that kids need if they are going to try out for team sports. A child that has been sitting on the couch for years, and decides that he or she wants to participate in a team sport will have a problem. Their bodies are not conditioned to perform the moves needed to play. Their muscles need training and conditioning before jumping into the game. At a kids fitness club, they will receive all the training they need to condition the body and prepare it for the team sports program they choose.

Fitness Training

Fitness training is another benefit of the kids fitness club. Whether it is strength training or a cardio workout, kids need to have a fitness routine to stay healthy. There are even yoga classes for kids to participate in. Staying fit is not hard work, but it is something that must be done every day. Whether it is at a club or at home, kids need more to do that moves the body and gets the blood circulating.

First Things First

Kids that have little to know exercise or body movement should start out slow. Yes, kids are resilient, but even the healthiest child cannot start doing strenuous activities if the body is not used to it. The kids fitness club can be very useful for families with children who need to find alternatives to video games and television. However, jumping off the couch and running around a soccer field without any prior exercise or warm ups can result in some painful muscles and possible health problems.

The kids fitness club is a place for children to learn how to exercise, warm up before playing team sports, and for little ones that need some fun games to play with others. They will have a place to exercise and have fun doing it. The clubs also have a pre-school program, which means that you can start your kids out when they are young. This is the best time to start learning about fitness and staying active.

Written by Dave O’Sullivan Co-Creator of Team NutraFun. For more information visit them at http://www.nutritionalfun.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_OSullivan

How to get kids to eat healthy snacks – Healthy snacks for kids

Sounds like sneaking good foods into the foods they already like is the answer to get your kids to eat healthy.  Sometimes we just need helpful tips and reminders as parents to do it and do it regularly.  Remember: they learn from what WE do;  not what we TELL them to do.

Check out Howdini.com for “how-to” videos for more ideas like these!