Since the mid-1970's corporate wellness programs have gained popularity and momentum and Corporate America has become increasingly aware of the numerous advantages wellness programs offer. Studies prove that incorporating a health and wellness program aids in:
- Reduced health care costs
- Increased productivity
- Decreased sick-days, absenteeism and worker's compensation/disability
- Improved employee morale and loyalty
Research also indicates that there are significant health benefits related to proper nutrition, routine exercise and living a healthy, active lifestyle.
The Facts
Corporate health is a growing trend
In the U.S., more than 81% of businesses have some form of health promotion program. With annual increases in health care costs and in benefit claims, sedentary lifestyles and poor health are costing companies money. Employers see corporate wellness as a way to prevent health issues which will reduce claims, make for healthier employees and will save the company money. Overall employers are realizing there is a significant link between prevention and investing in the health of their staff.
Estimates show that overweight and obese employees cost American companies $12.7 billion a year, including higher medical bills, higher health insurance costs, lower productivity and 39 million lost workdays. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that the overweight epidemic affects two-thirds of U.S. adults and is not just a health issue.
How will an exercise program improve the health and job satisfaction of a worker?
Studies show that for every dollar spent on a preventive health program, a company can save as much as $6 in insurance costs.
Studies by the University of Michigan and Johnson & Johnson show that employers can save:
- $1,100 a year for every employee who breaks their addictive smoking habit.
- $269 a year for every employee who progresses from couch potato to fitness enthusiast.
- $1,200 a year on employees who reduce their cholesterol levels from 240 milligrams to 190 milligrams.
- $177 a year for every employee who goes from obesity (more than 30 pounds overweight) to a healthy weight.
Companies need to invest in employee health
In a day and age where competition is fierce, don't you want your employees to be the best they can? Having a healthy, happy, productive front line can positively affect your bottom line. Your employees are your most important assets. Let EAS and the Body-for-LIFE Challenge help take your company to the next level by providing your employees the "blueprint" for success.
In twelve short weeks this program will help:
- Improve your employees' overall health
- Reduce the amount of sick days
- Increase productivity
- Raise company morale and camaraderie
- Strengthen employee/employer relations
- Provide all employees with the opportunity to win the next Body-for-LIFE Challenge
Introducing your employees to a healthier, active lifestyle generates success in all aspects of their lives. Employers can reduce costs for serious illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity by identifying high-risk employees and encouraging them to change their behaviors. Wellness experts agree that a work site health promotion program is the best way to achieve this goal.
What is the Body-for-LIFE Challenge?
Sponsored by EAS, a subsidiary of the Abbott Nutrition Healthy Living Division of Abbott Laboratories, the Body-for-LIFE Challenge, is the premier self-improvement challenge in the world. It is a structured 12-week fitness and nutrition program where challengers compete against themselves to get into the best shape of their lives. We provide competitors from around the world with an exercise/training schedule, and information on proper nutrition and supplementation to attain specific 12-week goals. Challengers are judged on their physical transformation through "before" and "after" photographs and on their internal transformation through an Inner Transformation Questions/Essay.
Now entering its eleventh year, hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have changed their bodies and lives with the Body-for-LIFE Challenge. Body-for-LIFE is not a "quick fix," but a way of life.
The name of the Challenge is derived from the book Body-for-LIFE, which has become the best-selling fitness book of all time. It has sold more than 5 million copies and is in 23 languages. The book is a holistic "no nonsense" approach to a healthier lifestyle. Along with a proven, easy to follow, exercise and nutrition plan, the book emphasizes a change from within through goal setting and a Power Mindset. The Body-for-LIFE program is your proven plan to success.
In June of 2008, Abbott Nutrition released the new book, CHAMPIONS Body-for-LIFE. It describes what the Body-for-Life program is all about from a champion's perspective. This book is expected to push even more people across the abyss to a more healthy and productive lifestyle.
Body-for-LIFE Principles:
- Eat six times a day, every two to three hours.
- Weight train intensely, no more than 46 minutes, three times a week.
- Do 20 minutes of high-intensity cardio three times a week.
- Plan and record each week.
- Practice the Universal Law of Reciprocation by giving unselfishly.
Why should you offer the Body-for-LIFE Program/Challenge to your employees?
Workplace wellness programs are recognized by more and more companies for their value in improving the health and well-being of their employees. Investing in a corporate workplace wellness program like Body-for-LIFE is recognized as the smart way to improve overall employee morale, as well as reduce employee turnover and overall health care costs. By implementing Body-for-LIFE in your organization, you create a more energetic, positive and productive workplace that provides meaningful gains for your company or organization.
- Overall health benefits
- Optimized cholesterol levels
- Improved circulation
- Increased cardiovascular capacity
- Increased energy
- Consistent blood sugar levels
- Goal setting—Body-for-LIFE principles can be used to succeed in all aspects of life.
- Time management—Body-for-LIFE shows people how to manage their time more effectively, allowing them to become more productive at work and home.
- Confidence—An inevitable occurrence of adhering to the program, achieving goals and mental and physical improvements.
- Competition—Truly brings out the best in people. The Body-for-LIFE Challenge eliminates the fear of competition because individuals learn they are ultimately competing against themselves.
- Clarity—By dedicating to a commitment like Body-for-LIFE, employees learn how to focus.
- Lifestyle Change—Body-for-LIFE is a comprehensive program that allows employees to live a healthy, active lifestyle for many years to come.
Awards and rewards
The most rewarding benefit of completing a 12-week Body-for-LIFE Challenge is the transformation of the body, mind and spirit as competitors lose fat, gain muscle and increase their self-confidence. In addition, EAS will be awarding eight category champions in 2009 in the National Body-for-LIFE Challenge.
Four easy steps to launching your Corporate Body-for-LIFE Challenge
- Obtain full approval from your Human Resources Department.
- Send an e-mail to (joseph.wesel@abbott.com) our Corporate Wellness Coordinator, Joseph Wesel (Hank) or call 614-624-5502 with the following information:
- Name of your company
- Number of employees
- Contact name and number for the individual who is facilitating your company Challenge
Once Hank receives this information, he will work with you to organize a Body-for-LIFE Challenge suited to your company's needs and size. If you expect to have over 300 participants in your challenge ask us about our Changes that Last a Lifetime program! This program incorporates the Body-for-LIFE principals but has different levels of difficulty. - With the support of your Human Resources Department, send out a company-wide e-mail to inform and excite your employees about the program. This is a great way to gauge interest and gather feedback.
- Encourage your company to provide an internal prize structure for employees who would participate in this program. This is a great way to promote internal finishers and winners.
For any other questions regarding the launching and facilitation of a Body-for-LIFE Challenge at your company, please contact Hank Wesel, our Corporate Wellness Coordinator, at 614-624-5502 or (joseph.wesel@abbott.com)
Body-for-LIFE Corporate Program FAQs
How to make Body-for-LIFE a success at your company
Q: I received approval from my Human Resources Department, and we established an internal prize structure. What's next? We are truly excited to get started.
A: We highly encourage all companies to do a Kick-Off Meeting open to all employees. This meeting will help educate employees about exactly what the Body-for-LIFE Program entails. We would be happy to send out our official Body-for-LIFE Challenge entry kits to pass out at the Kick-Off Meeting.
Q: I don't want to take part in this because I don't want my co-workers to see my "before" and "after' photos.
A: We receive this question a lot. We provide the services of the Body-for-LIFE Judging Team to help out in the judging process and assure photo confidentiality with all company photos. A team of experienced judges will review all 12-week entry kits and score the kits with 50% of the score based on transformation photos and 50% based on the transformational essay and questions.
Q: Since Body-for-LIFE is sponsored by a company that makes sports nutrition products, my Human Resources Director is concerned that employees will be "pushed" into unwanted product purchases.
A: Although Body-for-LIFE is sponsored by EAS, a subsidiary of the Abbott Nutrition Healthy Living Division of Abbott Laboratories, and does create and market proven sports nutrition products, the focus of Body-for-LIFE is on lifestyle change, not sports nutrition products. Although these products may help you see results more quickly and make the nutrition portion of the program more convenient, one does not need to use sports nutrition products to achieve great success with Body-for-LIFE. If you are interested in learning how sports nutrition products can help you achieve your fitness goals, we provide a tremendous educational outlet with our on-site call center that is available five days a week to help educate all customers on proper supplementation, nutritional tips and exercise-related questions. Please feel invited to call 1-800-297-9776 for all questions.
Q: We do not have an on-site fitness facility. What can we do to ensure our employees have a place to work out?
A: You don't not need to belong to a gym to have great success with the fitness portion of Body-for-LIFE. Many of our past Champions never set foot in a gym, and did all their workouts at home with minimal equipment. With this being said, most major fitness chains offer corporate discounts to companies.
Support for your Corporate Body-for-LIFE Program
We are the leader in the sports nutrition industry, and it is our commitment to educating and informing the public that has propelled us to the top; this is what we are most proud of.
PRINT
Body-for-LIFE: This book is the best-selling fitness book of all time for a reason: it works. It is the "blueprint" for the Body-for-LIFE Program, and discusses the entire program, as well as how to get started, in detail.
NEW! CHAMPIONS Body-for-LIFE: Recently released by Abbott Nutrition the Body-for-LIFE challenge is told from a champion's perspective.
Body-for-Life Challenge Entry Kit: Includes what you will need to turn in when the Body-for-LIFE challenge is complete. (Available Online at www.bodyforlife.com or through Body-for-LIFE Coordinator Joseph Wesel)
INTERNET
eas.com: Discover the history and science behind EAS, order from our full line of products on our online store, learn about our EAS-sponsored athletes. In addition, explore a full database of training, nutrition and motivational articles.
bodyforlife.com: With over 25,000 unique visitors per day, bodyforlife.com is the "home" of Body-for-LIFE. Peruse success stories and nutrition and workout plans from current and past Body-for-LIFE Champions, get daily inspiration from our interactive blogs and chronicle your Body-for-LIFE journey and communicate with other people following Body-for-LIFE on our Guestbook. Body-for-LIFE also features a Recipes database, as well as a library of fitness, nutrition and motivational articles.
EAS CALL CENTER
Our expert Customer Care Professionals are ready and willing to inform, inspire and answer questions regarding training, nutrition or supplementation. Please feel free to call 1-800-297-9776.
Testimonials
Each year an estimated 300,000 U.S. adults die of obesity-related causes, and the direct cost of obesity and physical inactivity has been estimated to be 9.4% of U.S. health care expenditures ($75 billion annually). The Body-for-LIFE program provides an excellent worksite-based platform to facilitate employee adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors to "stem or reverse the tide" of this enormous public and occupational health issue. The program principles are simple, yet masterfully based on solid health promotion, nutrition, and exercise science, making it easy (and fun) for participants to develop, comprehend, and activate their personal plans for success. Our Challenge has been an overwhelming success!! Fully 25% of our workforce (291 participants) initially accepted the Challenge and, as of week 8, over 150 remain fully compliant; to date, we have reduced by a cumulative total of 1151 pounds of body fat (an average of 7.5 pounds per participant). Over and above the individual physical and health improvements we are witnessing, there has emerged a great sense of community and relationship among participants, contributing immensely to a positive work atmosphere and climate. Momentum and demand for this program has continued to build such that we will begin our second Challenge a mere 5 weeks after completing the first. I highly recommend, without reservation, the Body-for-LIFE Challenge both as a personal lifestyle choice and as an intervention to improve your population's overall health status.
The Bottom Line: Total Pounds Of Fat Lost During the 12-Weeks: 2,417 lbs.
Robin S. Baver, MD, MPH, MS, FACOEM
Medical Director
Springfield Operations
International Truck and Engine Corporation
It is really getting exciting. The Wellness Fair/ Kick-off meeting is next week and I am getting a lot of inquiries for the program. We have a lot of employees already signed up and expect many more at the Wellness Fair. People who I thought would never sign up are going to do it. It is really inspirational to see certain people give it a try to change their lives. I truly support all of those efforts. Everyone wins in the end! I am so happy with everything and the great support that Team EAS has given to Sorrento! It is definitely appreciated and would not have happened any other way. I think we are enlightening a lot of people! I look forward to the Wellness Fair to officially get this kicked off. I will keep you posted!
Thank you,
Jeffrey M. Mau
Manager, PRISM Systems
Lactalis American Group, Inc.
We would like to congratulate you in taking the first step to letting us help you incorporate Body-for-LIFE into your place of work. Body-for-LIFE has already helped change millions of people?s lives and is in high demand to companies all across the world. We are truly looking forward to working together with each of you in the near future.
About EAS
Founded in 1996, EAS is recognized as the industry leader in nutritional supplements for elite athletes and active individuals. EAS distributes products domestically and internationally through direct sales and retail outlets. EAS' products are formulated based on the latest scientific information, and its products have been designed to meet the standards of those who are dedicated to fitness, physique-development and athletic performance. EAS is committed to education, research and the delivery of the right products for people interested in improving their lifestyle. In 2004, EAS was acquired by the Abbott Nutrition, a division of Abbott Laboratories, and now completes the Healthy Living Division portfolio, which also includes products such as Glucerna, Ensure, Similac and ZonePerfect.