Employee Assistance Program proposal
Employee Assistance Program Plan Proposal - Healthier Habits
1. Cause and extent of the targeted health issue
Overweight and Obesity is an issue of serious concern for Australia's economy and workforce. In 2008, the Department of Human Services reported that rates of overweight and/or obesity were predicted to reach 83% of males and 75% of females aged 20 and over by 2025. Here in Queensland, a shocking 65% of adults are already overweight or obese. It is an issue that results in an increasingly huge burden on our economy through health system expenses and business losses. Studies have shown the obesity epidemic is a strong risk factor for a range of other health problems, including depression and serious chronic diseases like diabetes, some cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Obesity is associated with more frequent absences from work, increased risk of injury, and longer recovery times.The two main contributing factors to this issue, poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles, are becoming more and more commonplace, especially in office work-environments like ours. Australia's workers are increasingly time-poor, less likely to get adequate exercise, and more likely to rely on convenience foods of poor nutritional value. Australian governments and health bodies have aligned in recent years to produce a range of campaigns and programs designed to assist organisations in promoting healthier lifestyle choices and ultimately curbing the cost of obesity.
The National Partnership Agreement on Preventative Health (NHAPH) was established in 2009 to address the rising prevalence of lifestyle-related chronic disease by promoting healthier lifestyles for all Australians. Key NHAPH initiatives included the Healthy Workers campaign, as well as $59 million to support the first phase of the Australian Better Health Initiative's Measure Up campaign, which encouraged people to reduce their risk of chronic lifestyle-related disease by reducing their waistline measurements. Phase
1. Cause and extent of the targeted health issue
Overweight and Obesity is an issue of serious concern for Australia's economy and workforce. In 2008, the Department of Human Services reported that rates of overweight and/or obesity were predicted to reach 83% of males and 75% of females aged 20 and over by 2025. Here in Queensland, a shocking 65% of adults are already overweight or obese. It is an issue that results in an increasingly huge burden on our economy through health system expenses and business losses. Studies have shown the obesity epidemic is a strong risk factor for a range of other health problems, including depression and serious chronic diseases like diabetes, some cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Obesity is associated with more frequent absences from work, increased risk of injury, and longer recovery times.The two main contributing factors to this issue, poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles, are becoming more and more commonplace, especially in office work-environments like ours. Australia's workers are increasingly time-poor, less likely to get adequate exercise, and more likely to rely on convenience foods of poor nutritional value. Australian governments and health bodies have aligned in recent years to produce a range of campaigns and programs designed to assist organisations in promoting healthier lifestyle choices and ultimately curbing the cost of obesity.
The National Partnership Agreement on Preventative Health (NHAPH) was established in 2009 to address the rising prevalence of lifestyle-related chronic disease by promoting healthier lifestyles for all Australians. Key NHAPH initiatives included the Healthy Workers campaign, as well as $59 million to support the first phase of the Australian Better Health Initiative's Measure Up campaign, which encouraged people to reduce their risk of chronic lifestyle-related disease by reducing their waistline measurements. Phase