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Today’s workplace culture is one of the unhealthiest we’ve ever seen.  Many workers put in long hours, get very little exercise, and eat a poorly balanced diet.  Yet despite these conditions, many employers are still slow to adopt workplace wellness programs.

For those who need a little more incentive, here’s an example from a recent article by LifeHealthPro.

The author referenced a client who hosted an employee wellness fair where, of the 45 employees screened, 3 were identified as being pre-diabetic.  What does this mean for the employer client?

Diabetes is a chronic, preventable disease that has been on the rise by over 41{d044ab8acbff62f209a116f8142e303cb886f535b0fcf58cb82cde7cb327d3c9} in recent years, resulting in an estimated cost of $245 billion in medical expenses nationally.  Of this total, 34{d044ab8acbff62f209a116f8142e303cb886f535b0fcf58cb82cde7cb327d3c9} is being shouldered by private insurance companies.

Studies have shown the average annual healthcare costs for an employee with diabetes to be around $13,243 versus an estimated $2,560 for an employee without the disease.  If those numbers hold true, that’s an annual savings of $32,049 if those three employees are able to take steps to prevent themselves from progressing further towards Stage 1 diabetes.

It is important to note, however, that measures like biometric screenings will not alone improve an employee’s or a workforce’s overall health and wellness.  Additional tools, such as coaching and other strategies, are needed to help workers make the life-saving changes they need to improve their health.  With these measures in place, employers may save hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of those individuals’ employment.