Company Health & Wellness Initiatives in Prevention of NCD’s
The 61st annual World Health Assembly is taking place this week in Geneva, Switzerland and at this assembly; the World Health Organization (WHO) is presenting its report titled “Preventing Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) in the Workplace through Diet and Physical Activity.”
The report calls for Company Health & Wellness Initiatives to be promoted and implemented worldwide.
Importance of Company Health & Wellness Initiatives
The report states that NCD related deaths have surpassed transferable disease related deaths and have become the leading global killers. Examples of NCD’s are heart disease, diabetes and stroke. In 2005, 60% of worldwide projected deaths were caused by non-communicable diseases. They are predicting that this health trend will continue through at least 2030.
Unhealthy diets, excessive caloric intake, lack of physical activity and tobacco use are the major risk factors in the cause of NCD’s. Now more than ever, the understanding of the importance of health and wellness is crucial.
Company Health & Wellness Initiatives are Effective Tools
The report states that Company Health & Wellness Initiatives are found to be effective in improving health-related risk factors, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. The report also states that Company Health & Wellness Initiatives will improve the health of staff members, improve the corporate image, improve worker morale, reduce worker absences and sick leave, increase worker productivity, and reduce corporate medical care expenses.
Company Health & Wellness Initiatives Monitoring
Finally, the report mentions that to have a successful Company Health & Wellness Initiative, monitoring and evaluation through health risk assessments and health outcomes are essential and should be included in the Company Health & Wellness Initiative implementation. The evaluations ensure that the Company Health & Wellness Initiative developed meets the proper needs of the staff members. Staff Members should be reevaluated on an on-going basis to make sure the Company Health & Wellness Initiative is still working, or to see if there are any adjustments that need to be made.
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