Everywhere I go, everything I read, hear is talking about wellness. Wellness here, wellness there. What is that all about?
Dictionary.com defines wellness as the quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of deliberate effort. An approach to healthcare that emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, as opposed to emphasizing treating diseases.
Historically, the medical industry is about treating disease and dealing with the symptoms and not about preventing them. Wellness is about preventing, monitoring and treating habits that can cause disease. Insurance costs have been steadily increasing and managing employee health has a proven record in reducing the rate increase. Our habits affect our and our coworkers' costs because if insurance is used to treat disease that translates into claims, claims causes rate increases. As my friend and colleague Victoria Braden says, "Insurance is simple. Premiums are paid in and claims are paid out. Control claims and you will control premiums"
Let's face it we all have bad habits such as inactivity, obesity, and smoking impact costs. We are stressed out which lead to physical and emotional issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) inactivity drives 40% of the cost of lifestyle related chronic diseases.
There are many types of wellness programs. Many of them are free. Some, offered thru work have incentives for participation. The whole idea is to get us moving, becoming deliberate and taking action. Use your resources. Ask questions. Don’t over complicate it. There are many places where you can start. Get a physical. Know your numbers (Weight, blood pressure and cholesterol). Do some research with your insurance plan about free wellness programs. Get moving. A CDC study in 2005 showed that 40% of adults did not do any physical activity in their spare time. Do you homework and get moving.
My own wellness program (a start)
All my life I have fought weight. I have tried every diet possible. I exercise regularly but I still struggle with weight. When my friend Erica, who is diabetic, found out that diabetes exists in both sides of my family, she told me " Honey, you are on the diabetes bus" and if I continued the same path I would get there sooner. I have been in denial about that but she made me take it seriously. She has been fighting diabetes for a long time and has learned lots of things. She agreed to help me and keep me accountable.
Initially, here are a few things she suggested
- Write down everything that goes inside my mouth.
- Cut 1/3 of my meals - This works on portion control. When I have gone out to eat, I have asked for a to-go box when they served the food. That way, I take the 1/3 off the plate. Out of sight out of mind. This exercise is helping me visually and physically understands the importance of portion control.
- Eat more frequently - I am eating about 2 to 3 hours apart. Not full meals but maybe the 1/3 that I did not eat for lunch.
- Cut down overeating- I overate one time this week and I did not like how I felt
- Get moving.
So far I have been doing this for 9 days and have lost 3-4 pounds without being on a diet. The Bottom line, there are lots of tools and resources available to us that can help us be on our way to feeling well and impacting costs positively.
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