Advwellness Masthead

June 2010
In This Issue
Silver Tsunami
Apple or Pear?
Beach Runner
 
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The choices you make about your lifestyle are as important for your business as they are for your well being. This newsletter provides insights on how employees' health choices impact your company, articles that will help you make healthy choices, and other news from AdvancingWellness.
 
Silver Tsunami: Surfs Up!

In 2006, I had the good fortune to fulfill a dream of climbing a mountain. Not just any mountain. This was a climb to the roof of Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro. It was the metaphor for my 50th birthday. I wanted to challenge myself with something really big as I hit this milestone age. What I found really interesting was that I was the third youngest in the group of 14 clients that ascended the mountain. The oldest hiker in our group was a 69-year-old woman from Maine. Clearly this was a group of people who are aging successfully.
 
Successful aging is defined as 'low probability of disease and disease-related disability, high cognitive and physical functional capacity, and active engagement with life." [i] I would definitely consider the group I traveled with to Africa to be aging successfully.
 
A silver tsunami is coming our way as we begin to experience anSurfer age shift in the US working population. By the year 2010, 24% of the workforce will be over 55, a 50% increase from 2005. By 2020, 41% of all men and 32% of all women between the ages of 65-69 will be working. Is this silver tsunami a tidal wave or an opportunity to grab a surfboard and catch a wave?
 
Researchers at the Center for Health in the New England workplace suggest that employers will need to begin paying closer attention to workplace design and employment policies. [ii] Offering flexible work options such as part-time work, telecommuting, or project work may be considerations. Offering health promotion programs for current employees may help them age more successfully by limiting health risks.
 
The goal of workplace health promotion programs is to reduce health risks. By empowering employees to live healthier lifestyles, these programs improve employee productivity, reduce absenteeism and in the long run, reduce health care costs. Employers who implement these programs can help keep low risk (0-2 risk factors) employees in low risk or through behavior change programs move medium risk (3-4 risk factors) back to low risk. Doing this in early and mid-life can improve the chance of high function in later working life.
 
Every day we get older. There is not much we can do to change that. So grab your surfboard and be on that wave.
Mari Ryan, MBA, MHP, CWWPC

[i] Rowe JW. & Kahn RL, (1997) Successful aging. The Gerontologist. 37(4), 433-440
[ii] Cherniack, M, Kuchel, G, Working Older, Health Challenges and the Shifting Demographics of Employment. CPH News and Views, Issue #16, June 2010.
Apple or Pear - should I really care?

It's hard to imagine anything but good health and wellness when you look at such perfect food items as apples and pears.  Thinking of them as they relate to our bodies in any other way than how tasty and beneficial they are just doesn't seem to make good sense.  However, when it comes to lowering our risk of developing heart disease, Type II diabetes and stroke, we may need to climb the knowledge tree a little higher to pick the sweetest fruit.Ms Kate

According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute almost 25 percent of adults in the U.S. have a condition known as metabolic syndrome.[1]   Metabolic syndrome is a subset of cardio-metabolic risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing heart disease and other health problems when they go untreated.  People with too much abdominal weight (apples) are at greater risk, while those who carry more weight in their hips (pears) have less risk.

 Although all medical professionals may not agree on an exact definition for metabolic syndrome, they do seem to agree there are five factors that should be monitored closely with the help of your physician:
  1. Abdominal obesity (a large waistline) - 35 inches or more for women and 40 inches or more for men.
  2. High Triglycerides - 150mg/dl or higher or if you taking medicine for treatment.
  3. Low HDL Cholesterol (good cholesterol) - less than 50 mg/dl for women and less than 40 mg/dl for men is considered high risk or on medication for treatment.
  4. Blood pressure of 130/85 mmHg or higher or if you are being treated for high blood pressure.
  5. High blood sugar - higher than 100mg/dl fasting.
Having at least three of the above risk factors may lead to a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.  Other risk factors related to family or personal history of diabetes, personal history of polycystic ovarian syndrome and South Asian ethnicity should be discussed with your physician as well.

The good news is that living a healthy lifestyle (eating more apples and pears) is one of the easiest and best ways for all of us to reduce our risk factors for developing metabolic syndrome.  Losing as little as 7-10 percent of your body weight can help; with a long term goal of lowering and maintaining your BMI (body mass index) below 25 percent.

Following a heart healthy diet, such as a Mediterranean type diet, high infruits, vegetables,whole grains, and which includes lean meats, poultry, and fish to limit your saturated fat intact will help keep your foods flavorful, yet satisfying.

Doing a modest amount of physical activity on a regular basis is good for your health, with suggestions to incorporate the four main types of physical activity - aerobic, strength building, bone strengthening, and stretching into your regular workout. However, before starting any exercise program, it is important to check with your doctor about what type and amount is right for you.

If you smoke or use any tobacco products, quit. Tobacco raises the risk heart disease and other disease factors.  If you are exposed to second hand smoke make every effort to eliminate it from your environment as well.  Quitting any tobacco product can be extremely hard, but with the help of your physician, family and friends it is possible.  Talk to your doctor about programs that are locally available, or sign up for a tobacco cessation at your workplace.

Working closely with your physician to monitor your risk factors is one of the most important things you can do.  However, sometimes lifestyle changes are not enough and your doctor may recommend medication to help you get your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugars in control.  It's important to follow the advice of your physician and take your medications as directed, while you work on making positive changes in lifestyle.

So it does seem we can learn something from our favorite fruits in relationship to the shape of our bodies. With a little bit of commitment on our part, we may be able change our body shape into a pear and save the apples for just good eating.  
Janet Dyroff, RN, BSN, MHP, CHES


[1] U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Disease and Conditions Index.  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ms/ms_all.html