Employers can also benefit from Worksite Wellness Programs. According to recent research, employers’ benefits are:

• Enhanced recruitment and retention of healthy staff members
• Reduced healthcare costs
• Decreased rates of illness and injuries
• Reduced employee rates of absence
• Improved employee relations and morale
• Increased productivity

A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report revealed that at worksites with physical activity initiatives as components of their Worksite Wellness Programs have:

• Reduced healthcare costs by 20 to 55%
• Reduced short-term sick leave by six to 32%
• Increased productivity by two to 52%

Thanks to modern medicine, life expectancy for Americans has continually increased. How much we enjoy these additional years, however, depends greatly on how we have lived our lives. If our quality of life is to remain high so that we can fully enjoy these extra years, we must practice good eating habits, be active and refrain from using tobacco products.