A Message from the HAP Wellness Team

Happy 2009! Ringing in a new year can often be a bitter-sweet moment. Thoughts of what was and what could have been can bring a little sadness. But looking forward and planning for the future can be very exciting. One important aspect of planning for the future includes your health. A little planning now will prevent a lot of problems down the road.

As your worksite wellness team, we are offering two great programs to give you a jump start on the road to health - Winter Walking and Weight Wise at Work. These programs are designed for anyone regardless of where they are on the fitness or nutrition scale. Refer to the HAP Featured Program section for more information on how your employees can participate in these great offerings.

This is also the perfect time to promote the 2009 Southeast Michigan Start! Heart Walk, sponsored by the American Heart Association. This program calls on all Americans and their employers to be a catalyst for change by creating a culture of physical activity and wellness in order to live longer, healthier lives. A person will gain about two hours of life expectancy for each hour of regular exercise. What an incentive!
Don't be left out! See more information on how you can be part of this exciting and healthful program.

This month we are also proud to introduce a new section called Go Green which will offer a "green" tip every month.

REMINDER: The January Worksite Forum will be held on January 22, 2009 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. RSVP at livewell@hap.org.

Don't forget to print the Wellness by the Month flyers for your employees. These flyers offer great health information by the month and can be posted in the lunchroom or any other community area.

Tools for a Successful Wellness Program

It's January and time for New Years resolutions. With behavior change on your employees' minds, take advantage of this increased interest in health to promote an online Health Risk Assessment (HRA). A HRA provides your employees with tailored health messaging to help them assess their health and learn how to improve targeted health behaviors. Additionally, aggregate data compiled from the HRA aids you in better understanding the collective health risks of your employee population.

Most health plans offer HRA's to their members, including HAP. HAP's iStrive for better health online wellness program includes a HRA and seven healthy lifestyle programs. These tailored programs address weight, smoking, stress, healthy eating and chronic condition management.

Since June 2006, over 37,000 HAP members have taken the HRA. Over half of these members also completed a follow-up healthy lifestyle program. This is where HAP has started seeing savings. The majority of users have lost weight, improved their eating habits, report they communicate better with their physicians and comply better with their medications. We've seen gains in productivity, saving $400 to $2,500 per person, depending on the health condition addressed.

Employer groups have successfully launched incentive programs for the completion of iStrive programs. This boosts employee participation, resulting in greater productivity and cost saving specifically for your company. HAP can support you in promoting iStrive, contact us for assistance.

Health Topic of the Month - Thyroid Disease

January is Thyroid Awareness Month. This small, butterfly-shaped gland is located just below the Adam's apple in front of your windpipe. For being such a small gland, it can sure create havoc with your quality of life - probably due to the fact that it secretes hormones that control your metabolism.

It is estimated that 27 million Americans have thyroid disease but more than half remain undiagnosed. It affects up to 10 percent of women and about 5 percent of men.
Hypothyroidism, where there is too little thyroid hormone produced is the most common form of thyroid disease. Symptoms include fatigue, forgetfulness, mood swings, weight gain and dry, coarse hair.

Hyperthyroidism, occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much of the thyroid hormone which increases metabolism. Symptoms include nervousness, irritability, weight loss and thyroid enlargement. If you think you may be suffering from a thyroid disorder, contact your health care provider.

For additional information, visit med.umich.edu or medem.com.

There is a free ebook, titled The Thyroid Awareness Month Guide to Thyroid Disease at thyroidawarenessmonth.com.

HAP Featured Programs

This month we are promoting the following programs:

Workshops
These free workshops can be 30 - 60 minutes long and scheduled during lunch hours. This month we are promoting speakers on:

Winter Walks
Don't be afraid of the cold! By dressing warm and taking a few extra precautions, winter walking can be the perfect tonic to ease the troubled mind or to exercise the body. We will provide a free pedometer (up to 100 per employer group) and a participant guide to each employee who joins the walking program. Look to our wellness by the month flyer for more tips on smart winter walking.

Weight Wise at Work
Inspire your employees to embrace the power of one good habit. The HAP Weight Wise at Work program will teach your employees how to define and adopt a healthy lifestyle with just eight simple D-I-E-T- F-R-E-E habits. This one hour multi-session format (6 - 8 weeks) is taught by a registered dietitian who discusses the eight habits and helps participants create personalized weekly action plans. All participants receive a free workbook. (25 registered participants required).

To schedule a service or to request more information please contact us at livewell@hap.org.

17 cars are needed to equal the weight of 1 loaded snowplow (50,000 pounds). No wonder it is recommended to stay at least 300 - 500 feet behind the snowplow.

The White House was painted white to cover the scorch marks left when the British army set fire to it in the war of 1812.

Polar bears are left-handed.

Please visit hap.org for our Wellness by the Month flyers to share with your employees.

According to Ecomall, 31 percent of all electricity in the United States is used to run commercial buildings and this figure is expected to rise by 500 percent in the next decade.

What can you do? Make sure all unnecessary equipment is turned off when you leave work at the end of the day.

(ecomall.com)

Start Planning Now!

February is noted for Heart Awareness Month. We will be offering workshops on Heart Health and free blood pressure screenings.

To schedule a speaker, health fair or wellness workshop on any of our topics, please contact us at livewell@hap.org.

Mark Your Calendars

The January Worksite Wellness Forum is scheduled for January 22, 2009
from 9 am to 11 am. Look for a formal invitation and agenda in the mail.