Arkansas 2009 Wellness Initiatives Still In Place!

Ever since Governor Huckabee created the Healthy Arkansas Worksite Wellness site, Arkansas had been viewed as a state leader in comprehensive wellness programs. Unfortunately, even with the Governor's push to incentivize a health lifestyle, the most current data shows that there is still a lot of work to be done.  Arkansas' health ranking this year was number 43 out of 50 states.  The latest statistics show:

• 8.7% of the population had diabetes
  
• 22% were smokers (higher than the national average)
  
• 63.8% were overweight or obese
  
• 29 % with a BMI over 30 (higher than the national average)

However, the news is not all bad.  Overall, the state has improved on the following:

1. Although the Health Ranking for Arkansas is 43rd this year, it was 48th in 2007!
2. Smoking has decreased from 23.7% to 22%.
3. Infectious diseases decreased from 37 to 16 cases per 100,000.
4. In the past five years, the percentage of children in poverty declined from 28.3% to 19.1%.

Arkansas is currently using The Healthy Arkansas website to provide strategies to reduce the three primary behavior-related causes of disease which are smoking, physical activity and nutrition. Hometown Health Improvement is another website developed to empower local communities to take ownership of health problems and identify and implement solutions that improve the health of their citizens.

The Arkansas Governor’s Council on Fitness is still funded by an assortment of private and public monies and has been giving out awards to encourage health and wellness for all individuals in Arkansas since its establishment in 1992 by Bill Clinton.  The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) also has links to the Federal Department of Health and Human Services with programs such as the easy to understand "Quick Guide to Healthy Living."  At a time where states funds are in jeapordy, it looks like Arkansas is holding its own to improve the health and wellness of its citizens.

Arizona State Wellness Initiatives Facing Budget Restrictions

Arizona has developed a Wellness Home Page through their government benefits office.

Although the State has launched a new link to the Mayo Clinic Embody Health Portal which supplies information to help employees better manage health conditions such as asthma, headaches, high blood pressure and diabetes, other on site programs have been cut do to severe budget restrictions. These programs include on site health screenings, educational classes, fitness classes, massage and other health related services. This is unfortunate since work site wellness programs have demonstrated the potential to save millions of dollars in direct costs for every dollar invested. A comprehensive wellness program must include a physical presence to help incentivize employees to achieve healthier goals. Websites alone will raise awareness but may not change behaviors. There are many websites available with health information.

The Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition (CPAN) at the University of Arizona has a great website devoted to translating research into effective community health and wellness information for children, adolescents, and men and women of all ages.

Let's hope Arizona takes these on site programs off the "hold" list pending analysis of the money that could be saved when implemented correctly.

What is Alaska Doing to Promote Wellness?

Alaska seems to be taking the health of it's residents and employees pretty seriously. Bill Hogan, recently appointed Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services http://www.hss.state.ak.us/, was recently quoted as saying, "Many Alaskans lead less satisfying and less productive lives, and many die prematurely each year because of disability and death caused by tobacco, substance abuse, injuries, obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and sexually transmitted diseases. Most of this is attributable to personal choice involving diet, lack of physical activity and tobacco use. The economic impact of chronic disease alone in Alaska is staggering: an estimated $600 million is spent annually on direct medical services and $1.9 billion estimated in lost productivity. Most of this is preventable, and we can do a better job of screening, diagnosing and treating these conditions. Our major strategies for promoting health and wellness include prevention efforts through education; expanding the health-care workforce; developing a statewide trauma system; working with communities on emergency response planning and preparedness; and assessing and mitigating environmental impacts on health in Alaska".

Alaska HHS has created an Obesity Prevention and Control Program. The mission of the program is to prevent and reduce obesity among Alaskans though the promotion of physical activity and good nutrition. Alaska's obesity rates are currently higher than the national average.

The HHS conducted an interesting work site questionnaire to address what policies and programs are already in place in a variety of workplaces. Results can be found at http://www.hss.state.ak.us/dph/chronic/obesity/pubs/physact/pa_ws.pdf It seems Alaska has it's work cut out for them in creating more current physical activity-related policies, sustainable programs, and accessible environmental supports that would help guide future activity promotion efforts.

If you know about positive programs that are changing peoples lives in Alaska, let us know by sending an email to: juliet@wellnesscorporatesolutions.com