Nutrition Is Key to Employee Wellness

March is National Nutrition Month – a great time to highlight some of the benefits of good nutrition. At Wellness Workdays, we strongly believe that nutrition is the key to good health. Making healthy behavior changes and eating nutritious food is an essential component of our worksite wellness programs. We hire master’s level registered dietitians to educate employees on the many benefits of nutrition and incorporate the importance of dietary choices throughout our programs.

The facts are undisputable. Chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes and obesity are among the most common, costly and preventable of all health problems. About half of all adults have one or more chronic health conditions and one in four adults have two or more chronic health conditions. Treating individuals with chronic diseases accounts for eighty-six percent of our nation’s healthcare costs.

Good nutrition can help prevent chronic conditions. Nutrition is one of the four health risk behaviors that cause much of the illness related to chronic diseases. The other three behaviors are lack of physical activity, tobacco use and drinking too much alcohol. 

There is a strong correlation between an employee’s diet and their medical costs. Worksite wellness programs can provide the education and resources employees need to make healthy changes, and employers that incorporate nutrition into their wellness programs can prevent costly medical conditions.

According to the PwC Health Research Institute, evidence is mounting that supports the need to implement nutritional advice and apps into employees’ everyday lives. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that approximately 40 percent of American adults are obese and 24 percent have at least one diet-related medical condition. In addition, 38 percent of adults report they eat fruit less than once a day and 23 percent report they eat vegetables less than once a day

Luckily, consumer awareness of the importance of nutrition is increasing. PwC’s Health Research Institute 2016 Consumer Survey found that most consumers want more advice about weight management and help with diet-related medical conditions. Consider adding a focus on nutrition to your wellness program. Wellness Workdays can assess and evaluate the diet-related needs of your population and develop nutrition-related programs to improve employee health. Our programs are developed using evidence-based conclusions from research in nutrition and worksite wellness.

Nutrition is a key driver of healthcare costs. Implementing programs to change employee behavior and lifestyle choices can prevent chronic conditions and expensive health issues. Contact us for more information.

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Visit Wellness Workdays for more information about our worksite wellness programs.