Healthy Behaviors Translate into a Healthy Workplace

The United States has experienced a dramatic increase in obesity and overweight over the past two decades, and Virginia is no exception. According to a 2007 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four Virginians is obese. A Virginia Tech researcher is bringing the battle against unhealthy weights to the workplace.

Paul Estabrooks, associate professor of human nutrition, foods and exercise, wants to instill the importance of a healthy lifestyle in the corporate culture in Virginia and elsewhere. He leads Virginia Tech’s translational obesity research program and has designed a weight-loss study that uses financial incentives and environmental changes to encourage healthy behaviors among employees at businesses with less than 500 employees.

“Ideally, we would have about 75 employees from each company join the program,” says Estabrooks, who hopes to attract participants from at least 32 companies.

"I just see that health has become a part of our culture," says Wood.

Researchers randomly assign each company one of two weight-loss interventions – an intensive program and a less intensive one – in an effort to figure out how well each plan attracts and retains participants and achieves weight loss. Employees must have a body-mass index greater than 25 to participate in the one-year study.

“In the less intensive program, participants get four, 20-page newsletters,” says Estabrooks, who works at Carilion’s Riverside facility in Roanoke, Va. “The first newsletter details how to start appropriate amounts of physical activity and what to eat. It does not outline a particular diet; rather, it helps people make decisions based on their preferences and healthy eating principles. The next two newsletters expand on these points, and the final one helps participants avoid a relapse.”

Employees at companies in the more intensive weight-loss intervention receive 365 e-mails, one for each day of the program. “These daily e-mails might cover portion sizes, barriers to proper nutrition and physical activity, and success stories,” Estabrooks says.

Thirty-seven employees at Virginia Utility Protection Service (VUPS) – more than one-third of its workforce – are enrolled in the more intensive plan. In 2007, the company had already turned an unused conference room into an exercise room with treadmills and an elliptical machine. Bruce Wood, VUPS director of human resources, explains that the Virginia Tech study adds to the company’s commitment to health.

“This gives another dimension to what we are doing because now you receive an e-mail about healthy eating and exercise every day,” Wood says.

Both the more and less intensive plans focus on balanced nutrition. “We push for participants to eat smaller meals and incorporate healthy snacks through the day, and we recommend complex carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as the main part of what people eat,” Estabrooks says.

A three-tier exercise program complements the nutrition advice. “The foundation level encourages participants to increase their physical activity by 5 to 15 minutes a week,” says Estabrooks, who cites research that links gradual increases in physical exertion with a decreased incidence of musculoskeletal injuries. “The goal is for participants to perform moderate physical activity for 30 minutes a day with two days of strength training.”

The intermediate exercise level calls for more strength training and 60 minutes of physical activity on most days – the amount recommended for weight control. Likewise, the advanced level requires vigorous physical activity. A participant who walks in the previous two tiers might jog or run in the final stage.

“Although most participants stay in the foundation or intermediate level, we have found that those who do best in the program and have the most weight loss proceed to the advanced level,” Estabrooks says.

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Although exercise researchers recommend at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week, longer periods of exercise may be necessary for weight control or weight loss. The Virginia Tech study encourages new participants to increase the length of their daily workouts in 5 to 15 minute increments each week until they reach the 30-minute goal.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that physical activity programs at the workplace not only reduce healthcare costs and sick leave but also increase the level of engagement and productivity on the job.

Related Information:

Translational Obesity Research Program

What's the best way to fight obesity? (Roanoke Times)