From the December 2007 issue of Ceridian Connection

Do you have a healthy workplace or is it more like a junk food mecca? Not surprisingly, many people say that office snack temptations mixed with a desk job aren't helping their waistline.

"Obesity costs employers billions of dollars every year," said Ceridian LifeWorks Senior Vice President Zachary Meyer. "Although controlling body weight ultimately requires employees to take personal responsibility for their daily decisions related to issues such as nutrition and fitness, employers have the power to encourage healthy workplace choices. Employers can realize significant weight management improvements among staff by offering things such as healthy snack selections in vending machines and kitchens, fitness center discounts and incentives for participating in wellness activities."

Making healthier choices at the office
To help determine whether your workplace is "phat" or "fat" when it comes to health promotion, Meyer encourages workers to visit Ceridian's Workplace Phatometer and offers the following tips for individual employees looking to make wise choices at work:

• Bring healthy snacks from home. This way you won't be at the mercy of the tray of treats brought in by a coworker or less-healthy vending machine choices when hunger hits.
• Plan ahead and pack your lunch. Thinking ahead and bringing a healthy salad, sandwich or thermos of soup to work can fill you up. Plus, it's ready to eat when you are and costs a lot less than ordering in.
• Eat when you're hungry. If you get mid-morning hunger pangs, eat a healthy snack. If you wait until lunchtime, you may eat more than you intended and make less healthy dining choices.
• Find time for a walk. Try to get up out of your chair and take some extra steps every day. Park further away and walk. Take the stairs. Add a walk around the building to your lunchtime routine. Take a "walking meeting" with your colleagues.
• Avoid stress snacking. Stress at work is unavoidable for many people. However, you can control how you respond to it. Instead of grabbing a candy bar, fat-loaded muffin or extra large mocha with whip cream to calm you down, do some deep breathing and stretching or talk to that coworker who can always make you smile.
• Choose low calorie foods. Diet sodas, artificial sweeteners and low calorie foods can readily substitute for higher calorie snacks. Avoiding just one extra teaspoon of sugar a day can avert almost a 12-pound weight gain over a year -- one regular soda has the equivalent of approximately 9 teaspoons of sugar.
• Control your intake. Research has shown that controlling the amount of calories you eat can be more effective in controlling weight than exercise alone. Drinking a large glass of water before your meal can make you feel fuller and avoid those last few bites of extra calories.
• Track your habits. Keeping a food diary is a great way to see what, when and why you eat. It can help you determine what your strengths and pitfalls are and help you create a plan to improve your eating.
• Stay inspired. What will help you remember to stick to your weight management goals? It could be a photo on your computer screen, a reminder of an upcoming event or vacation on your bulletin board or a clipping of a reward you will give yourself for your success.

Helping employees fight the bulge
Obesity costs U.S. companies more than $13 billion annually in medical fees and lost productivity. It is also associated with 39 million lost workdays, according to the National Business Group on Health. To address this important issue, Ceridian Weight Management offers a non-diet approach to weight loss and maintenance. This modern solution is a holistic approach, addressing the total needs to the participant.

Ceridian's most recent outcome report showed that 89 percent of Ceridian Weight Management participants achieved weight loss or weight stabilization. Over half of the participants achieved positive lifestyle changes and improvement in body mass index (BMI), which translates directly into health care cost savings and decreased absenteeism.

To learn more about how Ceridian can help you drive a healthier workforce, contact your Ceridian representative.