BOSTON, MA and WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - May 17, 2011) - Today, Virgin HealthMiles, the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease and the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation announced that more than 90 leading organizations across the U.S. have pledged their support to the third annual National Employee Wellness Month this June.
National Employee Wellness Month is an annual initiative that helps business leaders learn how companies have developed successful strategies around prevention and good health. It showcases how supportive social communities, such as the workplace, can help to improve employee health and productivity and lower healthcare costs, and how leveraging an individual's social connections helps create and sustain a workplace culture of health. Together, the supporting National Employee Wellness Month organizations and their employees understand intelligent health decisions and supportive social communities can create a healthier, more productive workforce.
Companies across the country are participating in National Employee Wellness Month by helping their employees learn about the health and financial benefits of healthy lifestyle choices, providing motivation and opportunities for employees to increase their daily physical activity, and taking action to promote healthy lifestyles throughout their organizations.
Organizations that have pledged their support of National Employee Wellness Month include:
Altec, American College of Preventive Medicine, American Diabetes Association, American Society of Bariatric Physicians, Americo, AOL Inc., Arthritis Foundation, Aspect, Austin Radiological Association, Baptist Health, Belmont University, Benjamin Moore, Best One Tire, Bexar County, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, Building Healthier America, Care Continuum Alliance, Catholic HealthCare West, Children's Health System, City of Corpus Christi, Community First, The Dow Chemical Company, EBSCO Industries, EnPro Industries, First Horizon National Corporation, Frontier El Dorado Refining Company, Frost Insurance, Fyda Freightliner, Georgia-Pacific, Greenbaum Doll & McDonald PLLC, Gregory & Appel Insurance, Harlandale Independent School District, Healthcare Leadership Council, Healthways, Hosparus, ICANATWORK, International Health Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, Intuit, ION Media Networks, Iris International, Jack in the Box, Johnson & Johnson, Kentucky Employees' Health Plan, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Louisville Water Company, Luxottica Retail, Maidenform, MainSource, Manatee "Your Choice" Health Plan, Mercy Health System, MetroWest Medical Center, MF Global, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Midwestern University, Multi-Color Corporation, MeadWestvaco (MWV), National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, Norbord, Norfolk Southern, Ochsner Health System, OhioHealth, Papa John's International, Personal Assistance Services of Colorado (PASCO), PHH Corporation, Protective Life Corporation, The Rawlings Group, Regency Centers, Rush-Copley Medical Center, sanofi-aventis U.S., Santa Rosa County District Schools, School District of Menomonie, Schwabe North America, Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, Sharp Weight Management and Health Education, Simplot, St. Joseph Health System, St. Vincent Health, SunTrust, Taylor Regional Hospital, Teradata, Timberland, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center, United Methodist Church/General Board of Pension and Health Benefits, US Healthiest, Vera Bradley, Verallia, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Visant, WLS Lifestyles, and YMCA of Greater Louisville.
Information and resources about workplace wellness, along with suggested ideas for celebrating National Employee Wellness Month, can be found at www.nationalemployeewellnessmonth.com. For more information, visit the National Employee Wellness Month website or contact Marian Hughes at mhughes@tieronepr.com or 708-246-0083.
About Virgin HealthMiles,the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease and the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation
Virgin HealthMiles provides technology-based employee health programs that pay people to get active. The company's Pay-for-Prevention™ approach, based on physical activity and healthy lifestyle change, attracts an average of 40 percent of employees who participate, which helps organizations reduce medical costs and improve employee productivity and satisfaction. Over 120 industry leaders representing more than 700,000 employees across the U.S. have selected Virgin HealthMiles' award-winning program for their employees. The company is a member of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group. For more information, visit www.virginhealthmiles.com.
The Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance is a collaboration of consumer, provider, government, labor, business, health insurers and quality-of-care organizations united to drive innovative and practical strategies that combat obesity. The STOP Obesity Alliance receives funding from founding sponsor, sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC, and supporting sponsor, Allergan, Inc. For more information, visit www.stopobesityalliance.org.
Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) is a national coalition of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts committed to raising awareness of the number one cause of death, disability, and rising health care costs in the U.S.: chronic disease. For more information, visit www.fightchronicdisease.org.
The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation is a first-of-its kind coalition that brings together 160 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, sporting goods and insurance companies, restaurants, professional sports associations, trade associations, NGOs and the U.S. Army. The Foundation focuses on activities in the schools, the workplace and the marketplace to promote healthy weight among Americans by balancing the energy they consume with the energy they expend through physical activity. The Your Wellness Advantage web site (www.YourWellnessadvantage.com) is a free resource sponsored by the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation and the National Business Group on Health. The site provides information, tools and ideas to help small and mid-size companies realize the bottom-line business advantages of workplace wellness programs. For more information, visit www.HealthyWeightCommit.org.
Contact Information:
Media Contact:
Marian Hughes
708-246-0083