Worksite WellnessKarensa Tischer, RD

Nutrition Policy, Systems and

Environmental Change:

Worksite Wellness Makes Good Sense

PSE; what is it?

• Policy, systems and environmental change is an approach used to improve the overall health of a community

• PSE modifies the environment to make healthy choices practical and available to all

• By changing PSE’s, we can tackle health issues like obesity, diabetes, cancer and other chronic diseases

Chronic Disease

• Account for 7 of 10 deaths in the United States

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in U.S.

• Chronic diseases account for a significant amount of healthcare spending

• CDC & Prevention have declared chronic diseases a public health challenge

• Sources:

-The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2010)

-Minnesota Department of Health (MDH, 2016)

Prevention is Key

• Many chronic diseases are preventable and linked to lifestyle

• Consume nutritious foods & healthy beverages

• Be physically active

• Avoid tobacco use

• With the majority of many employee’s time spent in the workplace = WORKSITE WELLNESS MAKES SENSE!

2015 US Dietary Guidelines

Why Consider Nutrition Changes in the Workplace?

• Healthy Employees-are good for the bottom line-feel more productive and have increased energy

• Employees are more likely to make healthful decisions related to food & beverages when the environment supports it!

Keys to SuccessCreating a Healthy Environment in the Workplace

• Organizational leader support• Convene a workgroup • Assess the environment & areas for change• Identify vendors & caterers who can support your

environment• Develop a policy• Provide education to employees• Address challenges

Best Practice: A Healthy Food & Beverage Policy

• A policy shows a company’s commitment to providing a healthy environment

• Gives credibility and ensures sustainability to the environmental change

• Communicates to all employees the importance and intent behind the changes

• Can more easily be incorporated into vending contracts and requests for bids

Policy Development

• There is no “one size fits all” for food & beverage policies • Each organization must consider its own culture and needs

Ideally a food and beverage policy would cover:• Items provided and served at meetings/events• Items available in snack stations• Items sold in cafeterias and vending machines• Identify a standard for “healthy” food & beverages, including

serving size• Identify a criteria of choices (example: only non-sugary

beverages will be served at meetings)

Components of a STRONG food & beverage policy:• Eliminates all sugary beverages from being served or sold in

the workplace• Provide only items that meet identified healthy standards in

meetings/events (these standards would be identified within your policy)

• Encourages consumption of water by making it accessible and available at all times free of charge

• Provides education to staff to reinforce healthy messages

Example of other policy standards:• At least 50% of offerings in vending machines are water or no-

calorie choices• Pricing structure developed so that healthy items are priced

the same or less than unhealthy items

Quick – Start IdeasEasy ways to start making changes now!

•Add fresh fruit and vegetable vending in staff lounge or in individual departments

•Increase healthy options in cafeteria line

•Change pricing in vending and/or cafeteria: raise price of unhealthy items while lowering prices for healthy items

•Start a healthy eating board in breakroom with nutrition information, healthy messaging, healthy recipe ideas

•Host a CSA drop-site at your workplace

Healthy Beverages

• According to industry surveys, employees rate water as the most important beverage choice in the workplace (source: Public Health Law Center)

• Promote Healthy, non-sugar beverages

-low fat milk (contains natural sugar)

-100% fruit / veg juice (8oz serving size or less)

-no calorie options such as coffee/tea

Ensure that water is always available at no cost

Offer water as a beverage choice at all meetings

Consider ways to promote drinking water• refillable water bottle stations• attractive water pitchers• serve water with sliced lemons, oranges• posters and educational materials on the

benefits of water

Education –

Provide reinforcing messages about healthy drinks

Healthier Options

in Vending

Machines

Contact your vending company to discuss placing more healthy options in machine.

Consider adopting a policy with a minimum percentage of healthy options

Consider product placement; display healthiest vending options at eye level

Promote healthy options by using signage or identify healthy items on machine

Pricing Strategies –Vending Machines

Work with vending company to determine if pricing structure can be adjusted; have higher prices for unhealthy items and lower prices for healthy items

Healthier Options in Staff Cafeterias

Cafeteria

• Place healthy items at point of entry, point of sale AND in high traffic areas

• Consider using a nutrition labeling program

• Consider a healthy value meal

• Offer a fruit or vegetable side at no additional cost

Pricing Strategies –Employee Cafeterias

Work with cafeteria manager to determine if pricing structure can be adjusted; have higher prices for unhealthy items and lower prices for healthy items

Cake $2.00

Fruit $1.00

Mini Farmers Market at

Government Services Center, Fergus Falls

Fruit and Vegetable Vending

Government Service Center—Fergus Falls and Family Service

Center—Clay County

CSA Drop-Site at the Workplace

Consider hosting a drop-site for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) at your workplace. Employees and/or the public could purchase a weekly CSA share and have the convenience of picking it up right at the workplace.

Worksite Gardens

PioneerCare – Fergus Falls

Government Services Center-Fergus Falls

Bulletin boards in employee break rooms

Resources

Healthy Workplace Food and Beverage Toolkit

American Heart Association

• http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@fc/documents/downloadable/ucm_465693.pdf