NBGH Launches Employer Toolkit to Address Childhood Obesity

October 21, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Pointing out that an obese teenager has a 70% chance of becoming an obese adult, the National Business Group on Health (NBGH) announced the launch of a toolkit designed to help U.S. employers address the problem of overweight and obese children.

The toolkit, “Childhood Obesity:  It’s Everyone’s Business,” is divided into seven major components, including an overview of childhood obesity and the major ways it impacts businesses.  Four core components illustrate how initiatives employers already have in place may be expanded or leveraged to promote healthy child weight. 

These core components, according to a press release, include:

  • Benefit Design:  Aligning Stakeholders to Change Behavior,
  • Employee Education:  Equipping Employees for the Battle,
  • Employer-Sponsored Programs and Onsite Facilities:  Using What You Have, and
  • Community and Philanthropy:  Reconsidering Company Contributions.

“As … obesity increases among children, employers are clearly going to be affected in many ways.  Childhood obesity will lead to increased health care utilization and higher costs for employers.  Poor child health will also decrease employee productivity as working parents often must leave work early and be absent to care for their child,” noted LuAnn Heinen, a vice president and director of the Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity, in the press release.

The toolkit is available free of charge at www.businessgrouphealth.org .

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