Dallas/Fort-Worth, TX (March 20, 2012) America’s greatest public health issue is obesity. In fact, around 68 percent of adults in the United States are overweight or obese and one third of adult Americans never engage in any physical activity. Obesity is a major contributor to health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders, hypertension, cancer and low self-esteem leading to depression. Working days lost to obesity are increasing every year. One study estimated that every severely obese worker costs the economy $1,627 per year as a result of absenteeism. In 2008, lost productivity and medical costs associated with overweight and obesity in U.S. adults totaled $147 billion. Now however, there’s a corporate benefit that could make a real difference to reducing obesity in the workplace.
Slimming World, Britain’s 40-year proven weight-loss program that’s more user-friendly and easier to follow than Weight Watchers is now available online in the USA. The program is based on a healthy eating plan called Food Optimising. Those following the plan lose weight by choosing from a long list of everyday healthy filling foods and recipes that are low in fat and taking small steps to increasing daily activity. An important part of the program is ensuring support to keep slimmers focused and motivated. There are no expensive extras and no faddy shakes or supplements.
Slimming World’s corporate benefit program has already been adopted throughout the DFW Metroplex in businesses large and small, including Medical Center of Lewisville, the City of Lewisville, Mary Kay, Inc. and Heritage Auctions. These model employers offer their employees an opportunity to sign up for individual Slimming World memberships to help manage their weight and improve personal health and fitness levels. One business that offers Slimming World online to employees has already noticed an improvement in staff health. “Our goal was to give employees the knowledge and tools to make healthier food choices and positively influence their lives as well as families and friends. We’re excited about the difference our partnership with Slimming World is making in the lives of our employees and how it has begun to reduced our absenteeism rate,” said Mindy Howard, Director of Human Resources at Heritage Auctions, Inc. See success story of Heritage Auctions’ participating employee Lisa Fox at http://youtu.be/dto_-GaWsls
Today’s workplace environment promotes sedentary lifestyles with many people working long hours seated in front of computers and employees taking more sick days due to weight-related illnesses. American businesses are offering Slimming World membership to employees as part of an overall benefits package intended to help reduce obesity by promoting a healthier lifestyle and enhancing wellbeing right in the workplace. This proven program has a real advantage for companies: Slimming World’s weight loss program can raise employee retention, increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, attract new employees and ultimately boost the bottom line.
“We often blame the overweight person for a lack of discipline or self-control or we suggest modifying food in the work environment like ditching “donut day” and removing vending machines so temptation is out of the office, but these are not the answers to successful weight loss. It takes a supportive team approach, a satiating eating plan with no deprivation, and a convenient program that is easy to follow,” says Dr. James Stubbs, UK Slimming World Obesity Research Specialist. See an interview with Dr. Stubbs at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF-lDOBghLQ
Employees offered the opportunity to join Slimming World, simply log on from home or office to visit the Slimming Worldusa website with unlimited access to interactive tools that provide guidance, a food diary, inspiration and individual support based on personal progress with hundreds of searchable, easy-to-prepare recipes for meals and snacks. Members lose weight week by week without giving up foods they love. Emotional support and compassionate encouragement is an important component of Slimming World’s service, and the company truly sets its program apart from the competition with an understanding and caring attitude toward all members. In the workplace, Slimming World’s participating employees bond together and become friends, encouraging each other toward success.
The Slimming World online support team cheers them along the way or helps them with the tougher days on their journey to achieve weight loss goals. “Our Slimming World corporate program makes weight loss both simple and satisfying where members achieve healthy goals at their own pace in total privacy. There’s no need to buy faddy ingredients or packaged foods. Food Optimising is based on normal everyday food that’s available at your neighborhood grocery store,” said Slimming World Business Development Manager Yvonne Sanders. And Slimming World’s unique physical activity program, Body Magic, is designed to help members become more active gradually, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
The proven program can even reach the whole family through employee participation and the convenient online program www.slimmingworldusa.com is accessible to anyone over 18 in an instant. Interactive tools, hundreds of inspirational features and hundreds of delicious recipes which are constantly updated make the program appealing and easy to follow at home or office via computer and smart phone.
About Slimming World
Slimming World is Britain’s largest and most advanced slimming organization. It was founded in 1969 to offer people a very different approach to weight loss: a hunger-busting healthy eating plan based on satiety and energy density, an activity program to suit individual needs, and group support that offers compassion and understanding. Slimming World has a deep understanding of the emotional, physical and psychological challenges faced by overweight people, and this understanding underscores the company\’s philosophy and methods. In more than four decades, Slimming World has helped millions of people to lose weight and live healthier, happier lives.