According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diet-related chronic disease accounts for the majority of healthcare costs in the U.S. As such, businesses are starting to realize that promoting healthy eating should play a leading role in their corporate wellness programs.
The following news stories and scientific studies underscore just how crucial diet is for health and well-being. Read on to find out how NFL players are incorporating nutrition into their training, the true cost of unhealthy employees, and more.
Top Nutrition News Stories for Corporate Wellness Programs
1. NFL players’ surprising new performance hack—going vegan
An increasing number of NFL players, including quarterback Tom Brady with the New England Patriots, are now on plant-based diets and favor flexibility over weight in their training.
2. Unhealthy employees now cost British firms six working weeks a year in lost productivity
Research from the 2017 Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey, a study of almost 32,000 workers across the UK, revealed that employees lose, on average, 30.4 days of productive time each year due to time off and underperformance as a result of sickness.
3. Learning to make healthy choices can counter the effects of large portions
People are often told that eating everything in moderation can help them lose weight, but it is better to choose healthier foods than to try to eat less, according to Penn State researchers.
4. Evening hours may pose higher risk for overeating, especially when under stress, study finds
Experiments with a small group of overweight men and women have added to evidence that ‘hunger hormone’ levels rise and ‘satiety (or fullness) hormone’ levels decrease in the evening.
5. Dinner Companions May Influence How Much You Eat
An experiment done at the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab confirmed the theory that people are less likely to stick to their own diet rules when eating with or near someone overweight.
6. For the First Time, Antibiotic Use in Farm Animals Drops
In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration began collecting data on sales of these drugs for food-producing animals. The numbers have gone up and up every year—until now. The 2016 report, recently released, shows a 14% drop in sales of medically important antibiotics from the previous year.
7. Study: Your Employees Are Dazed And Confused About Nutrition
A new study proves that most Americans are confused about nutrition and what “healthy” exactly entails. The 2017 Food & Health Survey found that consumers rely on nutrition information they don’t trust and that 80% of Americans report finding conflicting information about which foods to avoid and which to eat.
8. Time-restricted eating may yield moderate weight loss in obesity
Eating only during an 8-hour window for three months resulted in a 2.6% weight loss in adults with obesity; however, no effects were found for metabolic disease risk, according to findings from a pilot study.
9. Is this the formula for reversing type 2 diabetes?
The first-year results of a clinical trial have shown that almost half of people partaking in an intensive weight management program delivered through primary care achieved remission of their type 2 diabetes without medication. The trial has shown that type 2 diabetes is reversible if weight is lost and kept off.
10. Study: Number of obese kids, teens has increased 10-fold
Global rates of childhood obesity have jumped dramatically in the past four decades, according to new research in the Lancet. The number of children ages 5-19 who are obese has increased 10 times from 1975 to 2016.
These stories demonstrate just how powerful diet can be in health and wellness, and how easily influenced our dietary choices can be. People make more than 200 food choices a day, and it’s hard to stay mindful. A successful employee nutrition program aims to influence these choices by providing support and information at work, home or dining out to help employees actively chose a better diet.
Zipongo is a digital nutrition platform that makes it simple to promote healthy eating habits. Learn more about how Zipongo works and download this white paper, “Is Your Wellness Program Fighting Only Half the Battle?”
