Wellness: Arrival of the Fitness

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Does Healthier Equal Wealthier?

And therein lies the rub. Participating companies don't have the data yet to show that wellness programs help the bottom line. That's why many employers have yet to invest in fitness equipment and hire on aerobic instructors.

"Most employers want to see a return on their investment immediately," says Joy MacPherson, SMUD wellness program director. "What they don't see are the future benefits."

MacPherson says success depends on a program's breadth. A variety of fitness options enables workers to discover which activities suit them best. Furthermore, MacPherson adds activities need to be in plain view (no dank basements) and inviting to the fitness novice.

Participation is high at SMUD. Sixty percent of its 2,300 employees are part of Healthy Lifestyle, according to company records.

"We like to make the healthy choice the easy choice," MacPherson says. "And by having the programs right at work, it's convenient and builds continuous awareness in employees of what's offered."

To create a successful wellness program, employers don't need the flashy fitness attractions displayed at USAA and SMUD. Small-company owners will do just fine by introducing simple wellness plans, says Curtis Granger, program manager for Worksite Health Promotion Program, an arm of the state Department of Health Services.

Health Services has developed the California Fit Business Kit, which offers guidelines to employers to help workers get fit and eat smart on the cheap. While Granger admits that wellness benefits have been hard to measure, he says more company executives are meeting with human resource managers to discuss ways to reduce healthcare costs by embracing a get-fit culture.

Typically fueling the talks are the obesity epidemic and its corollary health maladies, such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, various cancers and hypertension. Twenty-four percent of American adults are obese, as are 21.5 percent of Californians, according to the 2005 Trust for America's Health Report.

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