Employees who are fixated on building a major nest egg for retirement by investing in their 401K deserve some kudos for thinking about the future. But too many working adults who contemplate their retirement years dreaming of extended vacations, days on the golf course, and care-free days, aren't spending nearly as much time and energy investing in their long-term health.
As a wellness professional, you already know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. It claims the lives of nearly 600,000 people a year, according to the American Heart Association. You are also likely aware that almost 70 percent of all adults in the United States are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 26 million people have type 2 diabetes, and another 79 million are just a few soft drinks away from developing the disease. And yet these conditions, along with blood pressure, stroke, high cholesterol, and others keep getting worse.
Here's a new angle to address these sobering statistics with your participants. Help them realize that before they get all starry-eyed about retirement, are they even going to be around to enjoy it? Some might track fluctuations in the stock market every day to keep their finger on the health of their investment portfolio. But what are they doing to invest in their health on a daily basis? And are they listening to the right people?
In a recent article written by Dr. David Katz, he takes a hard and candid look at the irony of making smart financial decisions with the help of trusted experts, while discounting the health recommendations, guidelines, and warnings from legitimate health professionals. You wouldn't hire a loan shark to manage your investment portfolio. So why would you fork over your hard-earned money on diet pills, gimmicky exercise equipment, and too-good-to-be-true weight loss programs, when all you really need to do is follow your doctor's orders to eat a healthy diet and exercise at least 30 minutes a day?
In his article, Health, Wealth, and Wisdom? Be Serious! Dr. Katz says, "If health were like wealth, society would respect those who are experts at it – and not substitute the guidance from those who are not."
Chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity aren't going to get any better until people start taking their health as seriously as their finances. There's no magic formula. Lose weight. Get more exercise. Eat a healthy diet. These daily investments in health and simple lifestyle changes can dramatically lower your participants' risk for chronic disease, improve their quality of life, and keep them healthy and active so they can enjoy – and be around for – their retirement years.
