Duchess of York Talks Workplace Wellness at GBC Event

GBC President Don Fry and the Duchess of York share a light moment before her remarks to GBC members on May 4.

05-04-04 - Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and a panel of wellness experts spoke about how workplace wellness affects a company's bottom line at a special GBC breakfast on May 4. Obesity causes American businesses to lose $13 billion per year. It can be prevented or reversed with "total authentic truth" with oneself, said the Duchess, a spokesperson for Weight Watchers, who recounted her battle with weight to the audience of more than 70 GBC members at the Center Club in Baltimore.

Presented by the Greater Baltimore Committee's Health Care Committee, the event was sponsored by Concentra.

Some employees lose an average of 39 workdays per year due to obesity-related health problems and depression, said Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health. She said that companies pay 13.8 percent more in health insurance for obese employees than they do for healthy employees.

Employers "can't count on the government to help with the health of your workforce - that is your responsibility," added Dr. Richard Safeer, Concentra's director of wellness. Current governmental health policies do little to prevent diseases related to obesity, high blood pressure, smoking and stress, he said. Employers themselves should strive to help their employees boost their physical and mental health to increase productivity and lower absence rates.

Safeer emphasized to employers that "you have the power to influence healthy eating and how much exercise your employees get," and they should set good examples for their employees.

Implementing a wellness program at work is a good way to motivate employees to get healthy, according to Chris Corcoran, senior marketing manager for Weight Watchers International. A good wellness program should:

• Meet an employee's needs and desires and should be chosen based on convenience, cost and availability of the program.
• Be safe.
• Have multiple ways to measure success. For example, employees may consider themselves successful if they lose a certain amount of weight or a percentage of body fat after a chosen amount of time or if they improve their health practices.
  

Typically, she said, dieters regain all of the weight lost during a diet within 5 years, but with the right program they can keep it off.

The Duchess, who has maintained her own healthy lifestyle for seven years, emphasized that possessing a healthy level of self-esteem and being truthful with yourself are key to maintaining good health. She has served as Weight Watchers International's spokeswoman for eight years.