Gilsbar has been recognized as a 2012 Platinum-Level Fit-Friendly Company by the American Heart Association for helping employees eat better and move more.
“Physical activity and employee wellness are important priorities at Gilsbar. We are honored and excited to be recognized by the American Heart Association as a Platinum-Level Fit-Friendly Company,” said Hank Miltenberger, president. “We’re committed to providing the best workplace environment possible. This will benefit our employees’ health and produce even more positive results for our company overall.”
Platinum-level employers:
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Offer employees physical activity options in the workplace.
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Increase healthy eating options at the worksite.
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Promote a wellness culture in the workplace.
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Implement at least nine criteria outlined by the American Heart Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture.
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Demonstrate measurable outcomes related to workplace wellness.
The Fit-Friendly Companies program is a catalyst for positive change in the American workforce by helping companies make their employees’ health and wellness a priority.
American employers are losing an estimated $225.8 billion a year because of healthcare expenses and health-related losses in productivity, and those numbers are rising. Many American adults spend most of their waking hours at sedentary jobs. Their lack of regular physical activity raises their risk for a host of medical problems, such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Employers face $12.7 billion in annual medical expenses due to obesity alone. The American Heart Association is working to change corporate cultures by motivating employees to start walking, which has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.
“The Fit-Friendly Companies Program offers a unique, easy-to-implement opportunity for corporations to increase employees’ physical activity, which will help improve their health – and their employers’ bottom line,” said John Reilly, wellness expert. “Even people who haven’t exercised regularly until middle age can reap significant benefits by starting a walking program. A study published in 1986 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that some adults may gain two hours of life expectancy for every hour of regular, vigorous exercise they performed.”
For more information about the Fit-Friendly Companies program and how it is helping to improve the health of Americans by focusing on an activity that is convenient, free and easy, visit startwalkingnow.org.
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. They team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or join, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or any of their offices around the country, or visit heart.org.