New information from the North Carolina State Employee Health Plan shows North Carolina to be the second state in the US to start penalizing state employees if they are obese by placing them in a more expensive insurance plan. Smokers will also feel the increase as they are also slated to pay more for health insurance starting next year.
"Tobacco use, poor nutrition, and inactivity are the leading causes of preventable deaths in our State," said Anne Rodgers, Director of integrated health management with the State's Employee Health Plan. "We need a healthy workforce in this State. We're trying to encourage individuals to adopt healthy lifestyles".
Close to 600,000 state employees, teachers and retirees received a packet describing the State Health Plan's new Wellness Initiative. The initiatives affect some 560,000 members — everyone except for those on Medicare.
The good news is that for both programs, anyone trying to quit or to lose weight is enough to qualify them for the cheaper insurance plan.
The legislature instituted the initiatives to help shore up the troubled plan which the legislature had to bail out to the tune of $250 million dollars last year. The idea is that smokers and obese people are a greater health risk and therefore more expensive for an insurance plan to cover.
While officials have not yet estimated any potential savings from the obesity requirement, "the higher costs for smokers could save $13 million in the 2010-2011 budget year", Rogers said, emphasizing that the plan's priority is to improve health and save money in the process.
Money is the best motivator when it comes to behavior change! Good luck North Carolina!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Louisiana Wellness Programs are Slow to Take Off
"Mardi Gras", an ancient custom that originated in southern Europe, is celebrated annually in New Orleans, Louisiana. It celebrates food and fun just before the 40 days of Lent which explains why the literal meaning of Mardi Gras translates to “Fat Tuesday”. While food and fun sounds great, Louisiana has a ways to go in terms of overall state health. With the 8th highest obesity rate in the nation, Louisiana suffers from many of the same issues that are present throughout the south. Heavy southern food combined with a serious lack of physical activity adds up to a large number of extremely unhealthy people.
If the numbers suggest anything, they indicate that authority figures in the South (such as governors, mayors, congressmen, etc.) would be wise to promote healthy living to ensure the future wellbeing of southern residents. Lighten Up Louisiana (LUL) is a creative state-wide initiative aimed at helping Louisiana’s residents get active and lose weight. LUL is an exercise-based nutritional challenge that encourages Louisianans to develop healthy activity and eating habits. Louisianans can form teams and engage in friendly competition or sign up as individuals. Either way, the program encourages residents of Louisiana to have fun while participating in regular physical activity.
In terms of employee health, there seems to be several budding wellness programs. A handful of Louisiana officials have begun to test the idea of low-budget wellness programs as a starting point for more comprehensive employee wellness programs in the future. Research suggests that even with low-budget programs, some level of increased wellness behaviors occur simply because wellness issues are highlighted and promoted in the workplace.
Although Mardi Gras provides a fun, festive release for thousands of fun-loving Americans, it’s important to recognize that “fun” doesn’t need to center around alcohol and fatty foods. For example, biking, hiking, and canoeing with friends are all fun ways to stay active and maintain general wellbeing. Louisiana is definitely headed in the right direction but could definitely benefit from a more hands-on approach to health by its legislators and state leaders.
If the numbers suggest anything, they indicate that authority figures in the South (such as governors, mayors, congressmen, etc.) would be wise to promote healthy living to ensure the future wellbeing of southern residents. Lighten Up Louisiana (LUL) is a creative state-wide initiative aimed at helping Louisiana’s residents get active and lose weight. LUL is an exercise-based nutritional challenge that encourages Louisianans to develop healthy activity and eating habits. Louisianans can form teams and engage in friendly competition or sign up as individuals. Either way, the program encourages residents of Louisiana to have fun while participating in regular physical activity.
In terms of employee health, there seems to be several budding wellness programs. A handful of Louisiana officials have begun to test the idea of low-budget wellness programs as a starting point for more comprehensive employee wellness programs in the future. Research suggests that even with low-budget programs, some level of increased wellness behaviors occur simply because wellness issues are highlighted and promoted in the workplace.
Although Mardi Gras provides a fun, festive release for thousands of fun-loving Americans, it’s important to recognize that “fun” doesn’t need to center around alcohol and fatty foods. For example, biking, hiking, and canoeing with friends are all fun ways to stay active and maintain general wellbeing. Louisiana is definitely headed in the right direction but could definitely benefit from a more hands-on approach to health by its legislators and state leaders.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Kentucky Fried Health & Wellness
Every day, more than 12 million customers are served at Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants around the world. Based in Louisville Kentucky, KFC is guilty of encouraging the consumption of too much grease. The state of Kentucky ranks, depending on the source, anywhere from the 4th unhealthiest state to the 7th unhealthiest state in America. These numbers take into account a variety of factors including rates of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and of course, obesity. Right now, the Trust for America’s Health lists Kentucky as the 7th most obese state – the result of unhealthy lifestyle choices and a general lack of wellness education. Although Mississippi wins the dubious award of the least active state, Kentucky is the clear runner up with over 30% of the population shunning even moderate physical activity.
Kentucky boasts an expansive park system, which includes one national park, two National Recreation areas, two National Historic Parks, two national forests, 45 state parks, 37,696 acres of state forest, and 82 Wildlife Management Areas. With all the green space available to Kentuckians, they should embrace outdoor activities. Unfortunately, the road to health is not quite so smooth.
In 2008 Kentucky launched Be Well Kentucky, an ambitious initiative aimed to challenge the statistics and inspire a shift in health attitudes and practices among Kentuckians. Be Well Kentucky utilizes a variety of resources – statewide broadcast, video and multimedia production, school-based services, community outreach, and the Internet – to maximize participation in the program and increase health awareness.
Above and beyond good health, wellness plans in some Kentucky workplaces also offer bonuses for employees and greater ROIs for employers. Two successful approaches include the Lifestyle Enhancement Activity Program (LEAP), which rewards workers who meet individual diet and fitness goals. And a program launched in Russellville called Logan Alive! where participants earn cash for their efforts and save money when they make healthier choices in the company cafeteria. Finally, the mayor's Healthy Hometown Movement in Louisville demonstrates the power of community involvement on every individual's health.
Overall Kentucky is inconsistent. There are pockets of wellness sprinkled throughout the state, but in order for Kentucky to change its image and boost its rankings in the current health statistics, more Kentuckians need to start taking their health seriously. Come on Kentucky, you can do it!
Kentucky boasts an expansive park system, which includes one national park, two National Recreation areas, two National Historic Parks, two national forests, 45 state parks, 37,696 acres of state forest, and 82 Wildlife Management Areas. With all the green space available to Kentuckians, they should embrace outdoor activities. Unfortunately, the road to health is not quite so smooth.
In 2008 Kentucky launched Be Well Kentucky, an ambitious initiative aimed to challenge the statistics and inspire a shift in health attitudes and practices among Kentuckians. Be Well Kentucky utilizes a variety of resources – statewide broadcast, video and multimedia production, school-based services, community outreach, and the Internet – to maximize participation in the program and increase health awareness.
Above and beyond good health, wellness plans in some Kentucky workplaces also offer bonuses for employees and greater ROIs for employers. Two successful approaches include the Lifestyle Enhancement Activity Program (LEAP), which rewards workers who meet individual diet and fitness goals. And a program launched in Russellville called Logan Alive! where participants earn cash for their efforts and save money when they make healthier choices in the company cafeteria. Finally, the mayor's Healthy Hometown Movement in Louisville demonstrates the power of community involvement on every individual's health.
Overall Kentucky is inconsistent. There are pockets of wellness sprinkled throughout the state, but in order for Kentucky to change its image and boost its rankings in the current health statistics, more Kentuckians need to start taking their health seriously. Come on Kentucky, you can do it!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wellness in Kansas: Maybe a Tornado could Shake some Things up!
Dorothy clicked her ruby slippers together and pictured her hometown of Kansas when she murmured “there’s no place like home” in the final scene of The Wizard of Oz. Today, residents of Kansas still feel fiercely fond of their "tornado-magnet" state. In order to maintain the well-being of Kansans, the primary goal of the Kansas Health Policy Authority (or KHPA) is “coordinating health and health care for a thriving Kansas”. Kansas’s leaders aim to improve individuals’ overall quality of life by compiling and distributing state health care data. Although it is important to keep people educated to ensure improved decision making on issues of health in the future, merely providing Kansans with information is not enough. The current Kansas wellness programs are pitifully weak or generally inaccessible. The Kansas Health Policy Authority’s guiding principles state that:
1. Every Kansan should have access to care
2. Every Kansan should be assured of quality and efficiency in health care
3. Kansans deserve affordable and sustainable health
4. Kansans should pursue healthy lifestyles with a focus on wellness
5. The KHPA will administer the resources with the highest level of integrity, responsibility and transparency.
6. Kansans should be educated about health to create an improved health system for all.
While this vision is admirable, Kansas lacks sufficient programs to achieve its health goals. According to a 2008 study from Health Resources and Services Administration, Kansas ranks 50th (worst in the nation) in federal funding for public health. So, while the governor and other Kansan leaders might have a vision of a healthy Kansas, there are few effective programs in place to make it happen. HRSA’s data show that the U.S. spends, on average, $21.43 per resident on
public health. In Kansas, however, a mere $9.96 is spent per state resident. Kansas devotes less than half the national average of its public funds to the health priorities of its citizens.
Today, Kansas offers HealthQuest, a program jointly administered by the Kansas Health Policy Authority and the Kansas State Employees Health Care Commission. HealthQuest's mission is to partner with employees to improve health and well-being and to better manage health costs. Perhaps the most encouraging service offered by HealthQuest is its weight management initiative. The HealthQuest weight management program offers a personal health and wellness coach to help individuals achieve their weight loss goals. When a Kansas resident enrolls in this program, he or she also receives a weight management workbook to be used in coordination with the personal health coaching. This program could be extremely beneficial to residents of the state of Kansas, but it is relatively under-marketed. With the proper allocation of funding and increased government support, HealthQuest could expand its offerings and transform the blustery state of Kansas into a Midwestern hotspot for health.
1. Every Kansan should have access to care
2. Every Kansan should be assured of quality and efficiency in health care
3. Kansans deserve affordable and sustainable health
4. Kansans should pursue healthy lifestyles with a focus on wellness
5. The KHPA will administer the resources with the highest level of integrity, responsibility and transparency.
6. Kansans should be educated about health to create an improved health system for all.
While this vision is admirable, Kansas lacks sufficient programs to achieve its health goals. According to a 2008 study from Health Resources and Services Administration, Kansas ranks 50th (worst in the nation) in federal funding for public health. So, while the governor and other Kansan leaders might have a vision of a healthy Kansas, there are few effective programs in place to make it happen. HRSA’s data show that the U.S. spends, on average, $21.43 per resident on
public health. In Kansas, however, a mere $9.96 is spent per state resident. Kansas devotes less than half the national average of its public funds to the health priorities of its citizens.
Today, Kansas offers HealthQuest, a program jointly administered by the Kansas Health Policy Authority and the Kansas State Employees Health Care Commission. HealthQuest's mission is to partner with employees to improve health and well-being and to better manage health costs. Perhaps the most encouraging service offered by HealthQuest is its weight management initiative. The HealthQuest weight management program offers a personal health and wellness coach to help individuals achieve their weight loss goals. When a Kansas resident enrolls in this program, he or she also receives a weight management workbook to be used in coordination with the personal health coaching. This program could be extremely beneficial to residents of the state of Kansas, but it is relatively under-marketed. With the proper allocation of funding and increased government support, HealthQuest could expand its offerings and transform the blustery state of Kansas into a Midwestern hotspot for health.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Weight of the Nation: Obesity Prevention and Control
“Weight of the Nation”, the Centers for Disease Control’s inaugural conference on obesity prevention and control, concluded its three-day line-up of speakers and activities yesterday. The conference, which took place at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC featured prominent health leaders and international public policy makers discussing current and future wellness initiatives on the path to global health.
The conference goals were to:
1. Identify strategies to facilitate obesity prevention on personal, local, and international levels.
2. Discuss economic analysis of obesity prevention and control efforts (for example, costs and benefits within the health care system).
3. Discuss the use of legislation, government regulation, and policies as a way to combat obesity.
4. Explain and evaluate accumulating evidence to promote certain policies and environmental strategies in obesity prevention.
Some of the ideas discussed were large-scale projects such as re-designing the infrastructure of a city to include wider sidewalks, more green space, or pedestrian-friendly routes connecting counties. Other changes suggested, however, are equally significant, but more manageable in a short period of time.
Indiana state health commissioner, Judy Monroe, suggested that school bus drivers could drop children off several minutes from school. Each day, an adult could meet the children and walk them safely to school from a few blocks away. This small change could increase the daily activity level of some youngsters by ten minutes or more. Another small shift takes place in the cafeteria. If candy and junk food prices are increased, kids are more likely to reach for apples or carrot sticks during lunchtime. Some schools have already set up an affordable healthy lunch program that provides fresh fruit and vegetables as well as pizza made with whole wheat crust and organic milk instead of soda.
Although public health officials face many challenges in their attempts to affect change, there are numerous creative ideas that encourage positive behavior modification and realistic lifestyle changes for Americans.
The CDC's inaugural conference didn't have all the answers for obesity prevention and global health management, but it did provide an interactive forum for brainstorming ideas and sharing information. That's a great start!
The conference goals were to:
1. Identify strategies to facilitate obesity prevention on personal, local, and international levels.
2. Discuss economic analysis of obesity prevention and control efforts (for example, costs and benefits within the health care system).
3. Discuss the use of legislation, government regulation, and policies as a way to combat obesity.
4. Explain and evaluate accumulating evidence to promote certain policies and environmental strategies in obesity prevention.
Some of the ideas discussed were large-scale projects such as re-designing the infrastructure of a city to include wider sidewalks, more green space, or pedestrian-friendly routes connecting counties. Other changes suggested, however, are equally significant, but more manageable in a short period of time.
Indiana state health commissioner, Judy Monroe, suggested that school bus drivers could drop children off several minutes from school. Each day, an adult could meet the children and walk them safely to school from a few blocks away. This small change could increase the daily activity level of some youngsters by ten minutes or more. Another small shift takes place in the cafeteria. If candy and junk food prices are increased, kids are more likely to reach for apples or carrot sticks during lunchtime. Some schools have already set up an affordable healthy lunch program that provides fresh fruit and vegetables as well as pizza made with whole wheat crust and organic milk instead of soda.
Although public health officials face many challenges in their attempts to affect change, there are numerous creative ideas that encourage positive behavior modification and realistic lifestyle changes for Americans.
The CDC's inaugural conference didn't have all the answers for obesity prevention and global health management, but it did provide an interactive forum for brainstorming ideas and sharing information. That's a great start!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Iowa: 90% Corn, 27% Obesity
The Eskimo Pie - a chocolate covered ice cream bar - was invented in Iowa by Onawa native Chris Nelson. In the years following the birth of this decadent treat, the Iowa obesity rate increased to 27%. Recently, the Iowa Department of Public Health launched the Healthy Iowans 2010 program to promote health and wellness among the state’s residents in a realistic way. In order to accomplish this, the IDPH lists several wellness strategies, which include:
• The promotion of health for all ages
• The promotion of physical activity and nutrition
• The prevention and management of chronic disease
The division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention has established programs to encourage healthy living among Iowans by educating residents on issues of wellness. One such program, Iowans Fit for Life, brings state and local partners together to build a network of health-conscious citizens dedicated to nutrition and exercise. This initiative aims to improve the health of Iowans by reducing the risks and preventing disease related to inactivity and unhealthy eating behaviors. Currently, there are more than 500 partners in the network.
One way the IDHP measures state-wide health success is by tracking the consumption of fruits and vegetables among Iowans. Currently, health professionals urge Americans to eat 9-10 servings of produce every day, while dietary guidelines put the minimum consumption at 5 servings per day. Sadly, even the reminder for kids to "strive for five" fails to convey the importance of vegetables in a child's diet. Although Iowans eat fewer fruits and veggies than the national average, there appears to be a direct correlation between consumption of fruits and vegetables and physical activity. In this case, eating vegetables does not cause someone to exercise, and physical activity does not cause a person to eat vegetables, but rather, adults who make healthy decisions in one area of their lives, tend to make healthy decisions in other areas as well. As a result, tracking vegetable consumption can be a good indicator of increased physical activity as well as decreased health risks in the future.
The Iowa Department of Public Health has instituted at least one comprehensive program to improve the overall health and wellbeing of Iowans, but like many states, Iowa still has a long way to go!
• The promotion of health for all ages
• The promotion of physical activity and nutrition
• The prevention and management of chronic disease
The division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention has established programs to encourage healthy living among Iowans by educating residents on issues of wellness. One such program, Iowans Fit for Life, brings state and local partners together to build a network of health-conscious citizens dedicated to nutrition and exercise. This initiative aims to improve the health of Iowans by reducing the risks and preventing disease related to inactivity and unhealthy eating behaviors. Currently, there are more than 500 partners in the network.
One way the IDHP measures state-wide health success is by tracking the consumption of fruits and vegetables among Iowans. Currently, health professionals urge Americans to eat 9-10 servings of produce every day, while dietary guidelines put the minimum consumption at 5 servings per day. Sadly, even the reminder for kids to "strive for five" fails to convey the importance of vegetables in a child's diet. Although Iowans eat fewer fruits and veggies than the national average, there appears to be a direct correlation between consumption of fruits and vegetables and physical activity. In this case, eating vegetables does not cause someone to exercise, and physical activity does not cause a person to eat vegetables, but rather, adults who make healthy decisions in one area of their lives, tend to make healthy decisions in other areas as well. As a result, tracking vegetable consumption can be a good indicator of increased physical activity as well as decreased health risks in the future.
The Iowa Department of Public Health has instituted at least one comprehensive program to improve the overall health and wellbeing of Iowans, but like many states, Iowa still has a long way to go!
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