Social Networks for Serious Change: Making Health a Group Effort

Social Networks for Serious Change: Making Health a Group Effort

  Even in adulthood, peer pressure can be easy to      succumb to. We are all familiar with that desire to skip a workout or bypass a healthy meal due to the persistence of a coworker, family member or friend. 

But what if the popular choice was the healthy choice? What if there was a network in place that supported each of us instead of deterring us from reaching our wellness goals?

That is exactly what Dr. Miriam Nelson is doing with her StrongWomen Across America Tour. Nelson is traveling from Kenai, Alaska to Brodheadsville, PA and stopping in 8 towns along the way, to start ‘Change Clubs’ in communities she has previously visited. Think of it like a real live social network, one that connects like-minded individuals to not only make strides in improving their own health, but to incite change in their communities as well. 

The continuous rise in both childhood and adult obesity rates makes it clear that there is a need for change across America. But will starting social clubs really cause individuals to make healthier decisions? Results of past research certainly make the idea sound promising. An often-referenced 2007 study in the New England Journal of Medicine followed 12,067 people over the course of 32 years to determine if there was an association between an individual’s relationships and the spread of obesity. Researchers found a person’s chance of becoming obese raised 57% if that person had a friend who became obese, raised 40% if that person had sibling who became obese, and raised 37% if that person had a spouse who became obese. Men seemed to have a greater influence on men and women on women.

Following the reasoning that individuals in a social network can make each other gain weight, Nelson is creating Change Clubs to encourage individuals to lose weight, exercise more, and make their communities healthier environments for all residents. Some examples include offering healthier food at the concession stands in Choteau, Montana and starting nature walks in Kenai, Alaska.

When embarking on your own wellness plan, think of including your friends and family. Not only will you raise your chances of success, but you will also be teaching and helping them along the way. Even if you aren’t currently setting new health or activity goals, consider the idea of a change club in your community. Making progress on health can be a challenge, but we are always stronger as a team than when we stand alone.

For more information about the StrongWomen Tour or to start a change club of your own, please visit http://www.strongwomen.com/tour/.

How have you motivated colleagues, friends or family to adopt healthy habits? 

You Don't Need a Soda Ban to Cut Back on Sugary Calories

This ad may look familiar if you have been riding a New York City subway recently. Mayor Bloomberg’s focus on childhood and adult obesity is hard not to notice, and this campaign against the empty calories provided in sugar sweetened-beverages is definitely a step in the right direction. 

Unfortunately for Bloomberg, his efforts just took two steps back.  In late August, the USDA rejected the Mayor’s proposed plan to ban the use of food stamps, now known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, to purchase soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages in New York City. The ban was part of a two-year experiment that the Major had proposed as a way to fight the city’s increasing obesity epidemic.

Over 1.7 million New York City residents are on food stamps and 59.3% of New York City residents over 25 years old were obese as of 2009. But it is the inability to measure a relationship between those two figures that the USDA states as the reason why they denied the Mayor’s proposal. If we cannot measure change, how do we know our efforts are working?

But rather than focus on a need for a ban, why not instead consider what your grocery dollars go to towards rather than those sugary juices and sodas? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 20 people drinks the equivalent of 4 or more cans of soda per day. A 12-pack of 12-oz cans of Coca-Cola costs $5.29. * That breaks down to a cost of 0.44¢/can or a total of $1.76 for the 4 daily sodas. (In a typical vending machine, the cost increases to $1.00/can or $4.00 for your daily fix). 

Consider what else you could get in the grocery aisles for $1.76:

• 2 Granny Smith Apples (0.79¢ each)
• 1 box of Minute Brand Instant Brown Rice ($1.79 each)
• 1 10oz bag of Stop & Shop brand Spinach ($1.79 each)

Any of these choices will offer you a wealth of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that are lacking in the soda. And what are you missing out on? The 560 empty calories provided by the Coca-Cola. Even at $1.76 for 4 cans, that doesn’t sound like a bargain to me.

* Figure according to Peapod by Stop & Shop for the Boston-area 

The Best Way to Ensure the Success of a Wellness Program? Measure the Results!

 

Having a corporate wellness plan in place is the first step in improving the health and productivity of your employees. The second step? Measuring the return on your investment.

Although spending on corporate wellness programs continues to rise, with an increase of $220 per employee from 2009 to 2010, a large component of these programs is still missing. According to a recent survey, only 37% of corporate wellness programs have a system in place for measuring results.  Although this may seem like a priority only for the businesses footing the bill, research has actually shown that the programs are more effective for employees when results are measured, and when the employees can track their own progress.

Similar to systems like Weight Watchers or The Biggest Loser challenges, where employees meet weekly for “weigh-ins” or meetings to discuss their progress, corporate wellness programs also need check points and support systems. These mechanisms help to ensure employees feel challenged as well as motivated and supported through the process of a wellness program.

Here at Wellness Workdays, we focus not only on creating a custom program, catering to the needs and goals of you and your employees, but we also ensure there is a way to track your employee’s progress throughout. Through systems such as our Strategic Consulting, we sit down with each and every company to determine what works best for you, in your setting, and with your people. Programs like our Olympic Circle provide accountability and incentives for the employees themselves. While we can all make wellness a priority, by providing both progress reporting and rewards for employees, you can raise self-esteem and promote wellness as more than just a benefit, making it a priority.

When considering the beneficial aspects of a corporate wellness program, make sure you consider a way to measure if the program is actually working. What concepts do your employees find helpful? Difficult? Motivating? Frustrating? Having a system in place for measuring return-on-investment ensures that you can adjust the program to best suit your employees. By recently completing my Wellness Council of America’s (WELCOA) Well Workplace University certification on How To Demonstrate A Return-On-Investment, we are able to measure benefits for your employees…and for your organization.