We have the smartest (second most highly educated state workforce—but we are smarter than Massachusetts, so I think we’re No. 1) and healthiest workforce (we are the leanest and most active) in the country.
Our workforce attracts companies to Colorado and helps ensure the success of companies doing business here already.
But we can and we have to do better. Just over 21 percent of Colorado’s adults are obese, and while that still makes us the trimmest state, we too are gaining weight and losing ground. As a matter of fact, if we look back in time, our current percentage of obese adults would have made us the most obese state in 1990. Why do we focus on obesity? It leads to major health issues like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. These diseases not only add to the cost of our health care system, but they also diminish our quality of life.
So, preventing chronic disease is also one of the easiest ways to see a return on investment in health care—you can get as much as $3 to $15 for every dollar you spend, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
There’s lots of ways for small businesses to make a big difference, too. At the Chamber, we challenge each other to be healthier. This year we all weighed in (privately, I assure you) to monitor our weight gain over the holidays—we did great and really supported each other. We host a weekly “salad bunch” where our staff shares a healthy lunch break together. We have just started offering personal and group incentives to meet wellness goals (I’m working on getting more sleep to improve my numbers). And, we support each other in all types of community races—from marathons to cycling to triathlons (Have you seen our Chamber jerseys on cyclists around town?). And, I wrote this Fourth Floor from my standing desk—a nice, healthy break from sitting all day.
Here are seven things you can start doing today to be heart-healthier, courtesy of the AHA:
- Get active. (Exercise at least 30 minutes each day—take a walk at lunch with a co-worker or skip the shuttle bus and walk the 16th Street Mall.)
- Control your cholesterol. (That means under 200 mg/dL.)
- Eat smart. (This is the simplest long-term change you can make for your health.)
- Manage your blood pressure. (Eating right and managing your stress can go a long way to keeping under 120.)
- Lose weight. (If you do the first four on this list, you will likely see changes here as well.)
- Keep your blood sugar in check. (If you’re diabetic, it’s incredibly important to keep the disease under control; otherwise, you run the risk of more health problems.)
- Quit smoking.
Want to do even more and bring health into your workplace? Here are a few ideas:
- Set aside your morning on Feb. 17 for the first Fit-Friendly Worksite Symposium at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center. There you can hear from Dr. Holly Wyatt about change leadership when adding a wellness program (click here to watch her TEDx Talk about taking on obesity). You’ll also learn best practices and lessons from CEOs who have implemented a culture of wellness at work. The best part? There’s no charge. Click here to sign up. Bonus: you can learn more about how to be named a Fit-Friendly Worksite.
- Join Playworks Colorado for its first Instant Recess on Feb. 26. That’s right, you can relive your four-square glory days and get some recess guidance from junior coaches.
- Play a role in the Colorado Culture of Health Conference on April 9 as a sponsor or a vendor and build connections with fellow business leaders committed to a healthier workforce.
There are countless resources to help us improve our health and the health of our teams. Here are just a few that we have partnered with: LiveWell Colorado, the Colorado Health Foundation, the American Heart Association, My Life Check and, of course, your own insurance broker is a huge help.
[Photo by: Justin Frisch]