Fort Wayne area business has been designated as a 2014 Gold Level Fit-Friendly Worksite
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Ryan Johnson
Office (312) 476-6627
Cell (773) 419-2352
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Fort Wayne, IN – Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the U.S., and physical inactivity doubles the risk. The Fit-Friendly Worksite program was developed to address this issue and help lower the risk of heart disease for employees. The AHA classifies Fit-Friendly Worksites as employers who go above and beyond when it comes to their employees' health. Participating employers have embraced criteria outlined by the American Heart Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, and culture.
BeniComp Advantage will receive the Gold Level Fit-Friendly Worksite Award at their headquarters, located at 8310 Clinton Park Dr, on Friday, June 13th at 10am. American Heart Association staff will preside over the award presentation.
“Physical activity and employee wellness are important priorities at BeniComp Advantage. There is no greater benefit we can offer our employees than helping them live healthier, happier lives and we are honored and excited to be recognized by the American Heart Association as a Gold-Level Fit-Friendly Worksite,” said Julie Short, Carrier Integration at BeniComp Advantage. “We’re committed to providing the best workplace environment possible. This will ensure our employees’ health and produce even more positive results for our worksite overall.”
Gold Level employers:
- Offer employee physical activity support.
- Provide/increase healthy eating options at the worksite.
- Promote a wellness culture.
- Implement at least nine criteria as outlined by the American Heart Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture.
The Fit-Friendly Worksites program is a catalyst for positive change in the American workforce by helping worksites make their employees’ health and wellness a priority.
American employers are losing an estimated $225.8 billion a year because of healthcare expenses and health-related losses in productivity, and those numbers are rising. Many American adults spend most of their waking hours at sedentary jobs. Their lack of regular physical activity raises their risk for a host of medical problems, such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Employers face $12.7 billion in annual medical expenses due to obesity alone. The American Heart Association is working to change corporate cultures by motivating employees to start walking, which has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.
The Fit-Friendly Worksites Program offers a unique, easy-to-implement opportunity for corporations to increase employees’ physical activity, which will help improve their health – and their employers’ bottom line,” said Michael Stetzel, Regional Vice President for the American Heart Association. “Even people who haven’t exercised regularly until middle age can reap significant benefits by starting a walking program. A study published in 1986 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that some adults may gain two hours of life expectancy for every hour of regular, vigorous exercise they performed.”
For more information about the Fit-Friendly Worksites program and how it is helping to improve the health of Americans by focusing on an activity that is convenient, free and easy, visit startwalkingnow.org
About BeniComp Advantage
Starting in 1962, BeniComp Group developed the wellness product called BeniComp Advantage, receiving exemption from current healthcare guidelines such as HIPAA, ADA, GINA and PPACA. This patent-pending product has approval in all 50 states, has received awards for innovation and best practices, and has been featured in numerous publications for its cutting edge approach to outcomes-based wellness. For more information about BeniComp Advantage, visit www.benicompadvantage.com or call the customer service line at 1-866-222-0102.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 219.996.4958, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country.
###