National Business Group on Health Names Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles
22 Employers Receive Inaugural Awards for Combating Obesity, Promoting Healthy Workplaces
Washington (PRWEB) June 22, 2005 -- As many corporations seek to “trim the
fat” to create a healthier bottom line, many of those who have done so literally
are being recognized for their innovative efforts to battle obesity and promote
a healthy work environment.
The National Business Group on Health, a
national non-profit organization, today announced the winners of its inaugural
“Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles” awards. The awards were presented at the
Obesity Leadership Summit sponsored by the Business Group’s Institute on the
Costs and Health Effects of Obesity
“We are very pleased to honor 22
U.S. employers that have achieved these high standards and successfully
implemented lifestyle improvement programs designed to reduce obesity and
encourage healthier living for their employees,” said Helen Darling, President
of the Business Group. “Their leaders are visionary and know how critical it is
that large employers support their employees’ efforts to choose healthier
lifestyles.”
Launched in 2003, the Institute on the Costs and Health
Effects of Obesity created the “Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles” awards as
a way to honor employers who recognize the urgent need to improve their workers’
health, productivity and quality of life. The Institute’s underlying goal is for
the awards program to serve as a catalyst to encourage all employers to take
action. Among the employers honored included those who use marketing approaches
and offer incentives to increase employee participation, and improve the work
environment by designing walking routes and changing cafeterias and vending
machines to promote healthy foods.
“Obesity is a critical driver of
health care costs in America,” said LuAnn Heinen, director of the Institute on
the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity. “An overweight and obese workforce
costs U.S. employers more than $13 billion annually. We are delighted to
recognize these organizations that are taking an active role in combating this
problem.”
Winners of the “Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyle” awards
were honored in one of three categories: Platinum, for established programs with
measurable outcomes; Gold, for creating cultural and environmental changes that
support employees who have made a commitment to long-term behavior changes; and
Silver, for those employers who have launched significant programs or services
to promote living a healthier lifestyle.
The winners in each category
include:
Platinum Award:
Baptist Health South Florida, Florida Power &
Light, IBM, Occidental Oil and Gas, Pitney Bowes, Texas Instruments, Union
Pacific Railroad
Gold Award:
Aetna, Bank of America, Dell, GE Energy,
GE Transportation, Mayo Clinic, PacifiCare, PepsiCo, Raytheon, Unum
Provident
Silver Award:
Erie Insurance Group, Novartis Pharmaceutical,
Quebecor World, Quest Diagnostics, Target
“It’s important to celebrate
our achievements, but long-term, it’s imperative that other employers take note
of what these forward-thinking organizations are doing to fight this epidemic,
and to start their own programs,” said Darling. “These awards have tremendous
potential to get the American worker moving again. To be competitive in the
global economy and retain our high standard of living, we have to dramatically
change the health and weight profiles of American workers and their
families.”
A complete list of the winners and a brief description of
their programs is available at www.businessgrouphealth.org.
About the National
Business Group on Health
The National Business Group on Health, representing
240 members, mostly large employers, is the nation’s only non-profit
organization devoted exclusively to finding innovative and forward-thinking
solutions to large employers’ most important health care and related benefits
issues. The Business Group identifies and shares best practices in health
benefits, disability, health and productivity, related paid time off and
work/life balance issues. Business Group members, primarily Fortune 500 and
large public sector employers, provide health coverage for more than 50 million
U.S. workers, retirees and their families.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb253724.htm