Fiscal fitness linked to workforce.

While popular culture often portrays topic of control as simply an American obsession with "looking good," there is much more than a slimmer profile riding on how we meet the challenges of a workforce burgeoning at the waist.

The worsening problem of obesity in America is doing more than affecting the sizes of the suits we wear--obesity has grown to become a major health and financial concern to business leaders as well.

The perils of obesity are well known--and documented in medical journals around the world--with direct connections being established between obesity and potentially life-threatening medical conditions including heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

On top of the toll that obesity inflicts physically, the nation's medical bills related to obesity continue to climb. According to data published in the journal "Obesity Research" (January, 2004), the cost of obesity-related medical treatments in the United States totaled $75 billion in 2003, with California's obesity costs weighing in at $7.7 billion. These numbers do not include indirect costs associated with obesity-related illness, such as lost work days.

According to statistics released in March of this year by the Centers for Disease Control, obesity will overtake the use of tobacco as the leading cause of preventable death in the United States sometime in 2005 if current trends continue.

Sami Alskaf, M.D., Board-certified in Bariatric and Internal Medicine, and Director of the Metabolic Obesity and Nutrition Center at Kaiser Permanente in Panorama City, believes business leaders can have a positive influence on the health of employees by promoting wellness in the workplace.

"We believe that staying healthy leads to a happier, more productive life," Dr. Alskaf says.

"When choosing health providers," Dr. Alskaf suggests, "business leaders, as well as individuals, should consider the educational and preventive resources that are offered as part of their plan."

Dr. Alskaf believes treatment and prevention of obesity require a multi-disciplinary approach tailored to the needs of individuals. Physicians, behaviorists, nutritionists and health educators all bring various skills to the weight management effort. "The mind-body relationship is an important factor when dealing with obesity," says Dr. Alskaf, adding, "Our Metabolic Obesity and Nutritional Center is designed to bring these experts together for the benefit of members seeking to improve their total wellness."

The workplace, Dr. Alskaf says, can also foster healthy choices and lifestyles by offering employees vending machines with items such as fresh fruit and water, cafeterias with heart-healthy meals and areas where nutrition and exercise information are available.

"Stress can lead to overeating," he notes, and he encourages employers to promote stress management techniques through seminars or distribution of printed educational materials.

Some employers are reaching out to the workforce through web sites, where health topics can be researched and discussed.

Through its own intranet, Kaiser Permanente physicians and employees are supported in their efforts to maintain healthy lifestyles. "The 'Working Well' web site," Dr. Alskaf notes, "links our physicians and employees to a number of activities and resources, including a walking program called 'Kaiser Permanente On The Move.'"

The Working Well site also features articles on topics ranging from ergonomics to making healthy fast-food choices, discounted subscriptions to Weight Watchers On Line, and a "Personal Health Tracker," where physicians and employees can monitor their own immunizations and medical screenings.

"We also offer our physicians and employees a discounted rate on various Kaiser Permanente weight management programs," Dr. Alskaf notes, adding "People who exercise regularly, eat a nutritionally sound diet and reduce stress have a higher quality of life with energy to do the things they most enjoy."

Although physicians and other health professionals advising patients will take individual needs into account, Dr. Alskaf's general "prescription for wellness" includes:

* Exercising 30 to 60 minutes per day (and he recommends you stay active all day)

* A healthy diet

* Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 27

* No smoking

* No "street drugs"

* Limit alcohol intake (2-3 oz., 2 or 3 times per week)

* Love yourself, as well as others (we re often better at taking care of others than we are at taking care of ourselves)

* Remember: your health is in your hands; be a health advocate for yourself.

When all the dots are connected on issues related to obesity, the picture that emerges illustrates the benefits of supporting weight management initiatives. Because the cost of treating illnesses such as obesity plays a role in the calculation of premiums for health care coverage being purchased by employers and individuals, for business leaders, weight control is as much about the bottom line as it is about the waistline.

Information for this article was provided by Kaiser Permanente.