Plagued by chronic disease in recent decades, the health of America’s population has become a pressing matter. With the establishment of health-related organizations and increased sanitation regulations, an epidemiological transition occurred that marked a dramatic decrease in infectious disease and a surge in chronic diseases, such as obesity and depression. Consequently, the newly developed concept of preventative medicine has been gaining momentum among health care professionals. Stemming from this idea materialized the notion of providing preventative care in conjunction with standard health insurance for those in the work sector. According to recent studies, wellness programs within companies can significantly impact the health, and subsequently
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Despite knowing the advantages of wellness programs, health care providers still place a much greater emphasis on disease treatment rather than disease prevention. Currently, most companies only provide health insurance after injury or once a disease has taken hold. For example, job stress related issues, such as “absenteeism, employee turnover, diminished productivity and medical, legal and insurance fees,” cost companies almost $300 billion per year (APA 1). Nonetheless, health promotion programs can be applied to prevent disease in the workforce and ultimately lower these exorbitant health care expenses. Utilizing preventative medicine, company-sponsored wellness programs can provide opportunities for employees to exercise, eat nutritiously, or accomplish any other activity that can be deemed beneficial to their health. With many sedentary jobs, obesity is a developing concern for companies. In a 2014 study conducted by the CDC, researchers found that 24.6% of workers in the state of Washington suffered from obesity. Moreover, those with sedentary
Despite knowing the advantages of wellness programs, health care providers still place a much greater emphasis on disease treatment rather than disease prevention. Currently, most companies only provide health insurance after injury or once a disease has taken hold. For example, job stress related issues, such as “absenteeism, employee turnover, diminished productivity and medical, legal and insurance fees,” cost companies almost $300 billion per year (APA 1). Nonetheless, health promotion programs can be applied to prevent disease in the workforce and ultimately lower these exorbitant health care expenses. Utilizing preventative medicine, company-sponsored wellness programs can provide opportunities for employees to exercise, eat nutritiously, or accomplish any other activity that can be deemed beneficial to their health. With many sedentary jobs, obesity is a developing concern for companies. In a 2014 study conducted by the CDC, researchers found that 24.6% of workers in the state of Washington suffered from obesity. Moreover, those with sedentary