August 2010

Each quarter, Clear Insights keeps you up-to-date on new educational tools including webinars, white papers, blog posts, and healthy worksite tips for you to enjoy and to share with your workforce.

Intro

Rebecca Puhl to Present Webinar on BMI Incentives

Weight Bias Expert Joins Free & Clear's Dr. Jennifer Lovejoy to Present Free Webinar on BMI Incentives and Weight Bias in the Workplace

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In 2010, at least one-third of employers plan to offer either a reward or penalty to encourage employees to reduce their BMI or improve other biometric markers. Unfortunately, weight bias is prevalent in the workplace even before incentives for BMI reduction are introduced - overweight employees consistently receive lower wages, more negative feedback, and fewer opportunities for professional growth than coworkers who do not carry excess weight. Dr. Rebecca Puhl, director of research at the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, joined Dr. Jennifer Lovejoy, Free & Clear's vice president of clinical development and support, to present the latest Clear Insights complimentary webinar. In this presentation, they discussed the nuances and ramifications of weight bias in the workplace, reviewed well-known examples of employers who are offering incentives tied to BMI, and offered practical strategies that employers can adopt to promote a supportive worksite environment that promotes healthy living.

Watch now


Physical Activity Tips: How To Stay Motivated

Want to inspire your employees to stay physically active, no matter the season? Need ideas? Here are some shareable tips from our experts.

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Motivational tips from the Free & Clear team:

  1. Challenge your excuses: no time? Make time! Too tired? Take a 15 minute walk to up your energy.
  2. Replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts - think of how much healthier you feel when you are active.
  3. Choose an exercise plan that is enjoyable and fits well with your lifestyle. Exercise doesn't have to be a chore.
  4. Participate in activities that improve your mood, such as walking with a friend you can laugh with.
  5. Engage in activities that are fun: you're much more likely to stick with something you like.

Flash Mob Video Celebrates Freedom from Tobacco

Watch Free & Clear Employees Dance Their "Butts" Off

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On the unseasonably chilly Thursday morning of July 1, 2010, Free & Clear employees brought warmth to Seattle streets in a spontaneous outburst of celebration - a celebration of the freedom from tobacco, flash-mob style! The perfect way to celebrate Independence Day and to wrap up our month-long “Celebrate Freedom from Tobacco” Campaign on Facebook and Twitter, the flash mob event was created to give employees an opportunity to celebrate the freedom they help others achieve, as well as to spread awareness of the state quitlines that we help operate on a daily basis. (blog post)

Read more (blog post)
View video on YouTube (link)




 

Clear Insights White Paper

Through Clear Insights, Free & Clear educates and motivates employers, health plans and government agencies by sharing best practices for achieving sustainable health behavior change to reduce the risk of chronic disease.

Obesity: the New Tobacco

For decades, tobacco has been known as the number one cause of preventable death and disease. Now, obesity is becoming an equal contributor to the burden of morbidity and mortality. This white paper discusses the parallels of these two epidemics, the potential crossovers in prevention tactics, and the ways that subsidized, comprehensive programs can help address the issue at the heart of both epidemics.

Register to download

Clear Insights Webinar

Cancer & Lifestyle: How Employers Can Help Fight Cancer through the Promotion of Healthy Behaviors

Epidemiological studies have shown that 75 to 85 percent of all cancers are caused by environmental exposures, and of those, lifestyle-related factors are the most important and preventable. The American Cancer Society's Thomas J. Glynn, PhD, discusses the modern lifestyle and its relationship to cancer, as well as the practical strategies that individuals and employers can use to adopt and promote healthier behaviors.

Register & watch now
 

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Featured Blog Post

World Cup Recovery: Getting Back Into the Game of Fitness

Quit Coach Jason Kalivas battles the Post-World-Cup Bulge

View blog entry

The Alere Wellbeing blog provides company news and specialized commentary on what's new in the wellness industry.

Ask Sandi

Question: This summer we’d love to provide our employees with healthy snacks for the break room. Do you have any suggestions for how to best do this?

Answer: Congratulations on being willing to support your employees’ health in this way! Here are some fun ideas: Contact an organic fruit and veggie provider in your community. They can deliver a large box of fruit and veggies weekly to your company break room. Purchase veggie trays from your grocery store and set them out in the break room with healthy dips like low-fat salad dressing or hummus. Put some grapes in Ziploc bags in the freezer for employees to take to their desks for an afternoon snack, or share a bag of low-fat, baked corn chips and pair it with a bowl of fresh salsa. You could also offer single-serving bags of trail mix or unsalted, unbuttered microwave popcorn for a low-calorie snack full of fiber. 

Ask Sandi Your Healthy Worksite Question

Sandi Kaplan is Alere Wellbeing’s Associate Director of Clinical Development and Support.

Testimonial

When I wanted a cigarette I had friends there to tell me how long I'd already been quit and ask why I would want to give all that up now. Quitting smoking was the best thing I ever did.

— Danielle Bortz