Category: Wellness

The Affordable Care Act and Wellness Programs

wellness3Implementing and expanding employer wellness programs may offer our nation the opportunity to not only improve the health of Americans, but also help control health care spending.

The Affordable Care Act creates new incentives and builds on existing wellness program policies to promote employer wellness programs and encourage opportunities to support healthier workplaces. The Departments of Health and Human Services HHS, Labor and the Treasury are jointly releasing proposed rules on wellness programs to reflect the changes to existing wellness provisions made by the Affordable Care Act and to encourage appropriately designed, consumer-protective wellness programs in group health coverage. These proposed rules would be effective for plan years starting on or after January 1, 2014.

via The Affordable Care Act and Wellness Programs | HealthCare.gov.

Benefits of Maintaining a Healthy Weight

healthy-weightWhen it comes to weight loss, there’s no lack of fad diets promising fast results. But such diets limit your nutritional intake, can be unhealthy, and tend to fail in the long run.

The key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight isn’t about short-term dietary changes. It’s about a lifestyle that includes healthy eating, regular physical activity, and balancing the number of calories you consume with the number of calories your body uses.

Staying in control of your weight contributes to good health now and as you age.

via Healthy Weight: Introduction | DNPAO | CDC.

Reduce and Manage Stress at Work

53964-81391While some workplace stress is normal, excessive stress can interfere with your productivity and impact your physical and emotional health. And your ability to deal with it can mean the difference between success or failure. You can’t control everything in your work environment, but that doesn’t mean you’re powerless—even when you’re stuck in a difficult situation. Finding ways to manage workplace stress isn’t about making huge changes or rethinking career ambitions, but rather about focusing on the one thing that’s always within your control: you.

via Stress at Work: How to Reduce and Manage Workplace and Job Stress.

What are the health consequences of overweight and obesity for adults?

Body-Mass-Index-Calculator-2Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI is a fairly reliable indicator of body fatness for most people.

The BMI ranges are based on the relationship between body weight and disease and death. Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for many diseases and health conditions, including the following:

  • Hypertension
  • Dyslipidemia (for example, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides)
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Gallbladder disease
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
  • Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

via Healthy Weight: Assessing Your Weight: BMI: About Adult BMI | DNPAO | CDC.

Risk Management 365

RM365 LogoThis is post number 365 since I launched this blog a year ago. To date we have had over 8000 views and growing every day.

So what is Risk Management 365 anyway? It’s following a 5 step process of managing risk 365 days a year not just buying insurance once a year. Insurance is NOT risk management ! There is no amount of insurance that can reverse a serious injury or death of a father, grandmother, son or grandchild. We live in a dangerous unhealthy world but though education and support from committed employers and engaged employees and their families we are making a difference. How many people quit texting while driving or began a regular exercise program after reading about it in this blog? How many children now wear a helmet when riding their bike? How many people recognized the signs off a heart attack and got treatment? If you have I would love to hear from you.

Our mission is “Keeping employees and their families healthy and safe at home and at work.”

Learn more about  Ottawa Kent and the Risk Management 365 process at www.ottawakent.com

Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking

Smoking_killsThe adverse health effects from cigarette smoking account for an estimated 443,000 deaths, or nearly one of every five deaths, each year in the United States.

More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.

Smoking causes an estimated 90% of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80% of all lung cancer deaths in women.

An estimated 90% of all deaths from chronic obstructive lung disease are caused by smoking.

via CDC – Fact Sheet – Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking – Smoking & Tobacco Use.

What Are The Benefits Of A Health Risk Assessment?

HRAConducting a health risk assessment has several potential benefits including identifying health risk factors, controlling health care costs, predicting employee absenteeism, encouraging individuals to take a proactive stance when it comes to personal health care and monitoring the health status of the general population. Each of these factors can contribute to preventing future health problems. Health risk assessments are used by a wide range of groups and for a variety of reasons.

via What Are The Benefits Of A Health Risk Assessment? | LIVESTRONG.COM.

Blood Pressure: Key to Heart Health

High-Blood-pressureYour doctor tells you your blood pressure numbers, or you hear the doctors on ER shout “pressure’s dropping!” Do you actually know what that means?

Blood pressure consists of two numbers. Your systolic pressure measures the pressure of blood against artery walls when the heart pumps blood out during a heartbeat, while the diastolic pressure measures the same pressure between heartbeats, when the heart fills with blood. “Both of these numbers are important, just because one is normal doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.”

Normal blood pressure is below 120/80.

Pre-hypertension is 120 to 139 (systolic) and/or 80 to 89 (diastolic).

Hypertension – also known as high blood pressure — is 140 or higher (systolic) and 90 or higher (diastolic).

One in three adults in the U.S. — about 74 million people — has high blood pressure or pre-hypertension. Between 1996 and 2006, the number of deaths from high blood pressure rose by more than 48%.

via Key Numbers for Heart Health: Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Waist Size.

How to Relieve Stress at Work

  • stress-e1347025475899Take a few deep breaths, allowing your rib cage and belly to expand as you inhale. Exhale slowly.
  • Seek a change in venue. Getting away from your work station, even for a walk to the water cooler, can help you collect your thoughts and refocus on the task at hand.
  • Laugh! Read one of your favorite jokes or simply laugh aloud.
  • Play with a stress-relieving toy or game like a mini-basketball hoop, dart board, foam stress ball or punching bag.
  • Close your eyes and listen to soothing music.
  • Visualize yourself relaxing at your favorite vacation spot or completing the big presentation with ease.

via How to Relieve Stress at Work | eHow.com.