3% of U. S. Adults Lead Healthy Lives, According to Recent Study
According to a recent study conducted by Michigan State University, a mere 3% of U. S. adults maintain healthy lifestyles habits. Employer sponsored health promotion programs are on the rise as a way to encourage healthy lifestyles.
Portland, OR (PRWEB) May 25, 2005
According to a recent study conducted by Michigan State University, a mere 3% of U. S. adults maintain healthy lifestyles habits. Data was gathered from over 150,000 adults through telephone surveys. Surveyors rated health on four indicators including eating at least five fruits and vegetables per day, not smoking, exercising for at least thirty minutes five or more times per week, and having a healthy body mass index (BMI).
The lead author of the study, Dr. Matthew J. Reeves, told Reuters Health one likely reason for the results is that currently there is a “cultural norm” to live unhealthy lives. “If most people around you are overweight, and don’t exercise and eat mostly fast food, then it’s very hard to see the need to change the way you are living,” Reeves speculated.
Employer sponsored health promotion programs are on the rise as a way to encourage healthy lifestyles. Dave Miller is director of the health and wellness benefit program, the LifeBalance Program, and is the Oregon state representative for Health Promotion Advocates. Since the creation of the LifeBalance Program back in 1996, the goal has been to encourage people to take a proactive approach towards their health and well being by encouraging members to participate in various forms of recreation and culture.
“Slowly but surly employer groups are beginning to realize that if their employees are more healthy they are essentially more productive and more cost effective to have on their team. High risk employees, those that are overweight, not active and make poor lifestyle choices are becoming less and less attractive to employers,” Miller says.
Absolute Recreation Management, Inc. (ARM) is a privately held company headquartered in Portland, Oregon. The company was founded in 1996 and currently operates business-to-business programs and services based on proper work/life balance and healthy lifestyle promotion. The LifeBalance Program is sold to businesses as an employer sponsored employee benefit or the program is bundled into Health Plan offerings or Association plan offerings as a value added wellness component. The LifeBalance Program currently supports over 1,000 clients and boasts over 350,000 LifeBalance Program members. Existing strategic relationships include: Providence Health Plan, Associated General Contractors, Xenium Resources, Providence Health System and PeaceHealth. Visit www. LifeBalanceProgram. com for complete program information.
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