Employee Wellness: A Prescription for Fruits and Veggies

With bad cholesterol, depression, high blood pressure, and obesity all steadily threatening America’s well-being, some healthcare professionals are trying a new, simpler prescription- eat your fruits and vegetables by starting Employee Wellness Programs.

In a partnership between health care providers and farmers market partners, the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program (FVRx) provides daily $1 subsidies to buy produce at local farmers markets. Each family member gets the $1 prescription, so for example a family of five would get $35 per week to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables.

A primary care physician and nutritionist meet with each participant monthly to discuss and reinforce the importance of healthy eating. The patient’s progress is tracked over the period of the description, monitoring their weight, blood pressure, and Body Mass Index at each visit.

The program is designed specifically to assist overweight children and pregnant women who are at risk of developing preventable diseases. In the 2011 pilot program, FVRx participants reported a 38.1% decreased BMI over a four month intervention period. The program yielded economic benefits for local farmers as well- participating farmers markets saw an average increase in revenue of 8,129, as well as an influx of new and repeat customers.

The FVRx is one component of an increasing trend in health care that take a preventative approach to healthcare. The cost of medical care is rising, and preventable diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity rates only place additional burdens on medical costs. Initiatives such as the FVRx, wellness programs and education target lifestyle changes, including improved diet and exercise, that improve an individual’s well-being and can stave off preventable diseases.

The growing importance of employee wellness programs in the workplace reflects this same dynamic. Employers are helping employees work harder at staying healthy and manage chronic diseases more effectively, so that they and the company benefit from lower health costs and reduced absences. Sinclair Risk & Financial Management is at the forefront of this approach, providing employers with a proprietary Wellness Program designed to promote healthy employee lifestyle choices along with a strategy to create and sustain these behaviors. Contact us today for more information about our employee wellness programs.