HEAD:
Serious reasons to combat obesity (and ways you can help)
COPY:
Fighting obesity isn’t just about winning the battle of the bulge anymore. It’s about winning back our nation’s health and productivity.
SUBHEAD:
Health costs
Many of the chronic diseases that you hear about every day can be linked to the extra pounds many of us carry around. Being overweight increases the risk of: 1
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 hypertension osteoarthritis high cholesterol and triglycerides type 2 diabetes coronary heart disease stroke gallbladder disease sleep apnea and respiratory problems some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon)
SUBHEAD:
Employers’ costs
Obesity-related health problems cost employers an average of $277 a year per employee in medical costs and absenteeism.
2 Considering that more than 65% of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese, your company’s bottom line could take a significant hit.
3
SUBHEAD:
How you can help
So, as an employer, what can you do to support your employees’ weight-loss efforts?
Here are a few ideas:
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Swap the community candy dish for a fruit bowl.
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Replace the morning meeting doughnuts with fruit, bagels or other low-calorie, low-fat choices.
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Support the competition – encourage employees’ friendly (and sensible) weight-loss and work-out challenges.
 Encourage employees to “know their numbers” – BMI (body mass index), cholesterol and blood pressure are key health indicators.

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Make sure your employees know the resources and savings they can enjoy as
Anthem members, such as: o MyHealth@Anthem
®
, powered by WebMD
®
, at anthem.com. o free 30-day Tune Up trial program from Jenny Craig. o guaranteed lowest membership rates at over 1,500 top fitness clubs. o savings on health and wellness books at barnesandnoble.com.
Visit anthem.com
’s SpecialOffers@Anthem SM section to take advantage of these and other discounts.
CALL-OUT:
The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute has a handy BMI calculator online at http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ .
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Overweight and Obesity: Health Consequences” http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/consequences.htm
, Feb. 22, 2007.
2 “The Costs of Obesity Among Full-time Employees” American Journal of Health Promotion,
Sept/Oct 2005.
3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Overweight and Obesity: Frequently Asked Questions” http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/faq.htm
, Feb. 22, 2007.