1. How Healthy Are You?
It’s up to you.

2. Agenda
 CSBT – who are we?
 Define Healthy
 Trends and indicators
 Key factors influencing health and wellness in Canada
 The whole package
 Making the commitment
 Resources

3. Community Services Benefits Trust
(CSBT)
• Established in 2002 by 7 agencies in the Community Living
Sector in BC
• Original mandate
– Provide fully insured employee benefits to social service agencies
– Deliver the service through local agents
– No infrastructure
• Benefits programs are delivered through GroupHEALTH Global
Benefits, a Canada wide company with 50 agencies in 9
provinces
• Currently have 202 clients across the country – BC to the
Maritimes
• Board of Trustees – ED’s or senior mgmt from sector

4. Define Healthy
• Three pronged
approach
– Body
– Mind
– Spirit

5. Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-
being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
World Health Organization
The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want,
drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.
Mark Twain
The greatest wealth is health
Virgil

6. The Bad News!!
• Chronic disease on the increase
• Poor nutrition and obesity on the increase
• Rising incidence of deadly disease
• Stress levels at all time high
• Mental illness strikes one in five
• Dog bites on the increase

7. “Healthcare costs for
Canadian employer plans
are expected to rise
15% in 2010.”
- Source: Benefits Benchmarking 2009:
Balancing Competitiveness and Costs
Consider…
The Bad News!!

8. “Mental illness is associated with more
lost work days than any other chronic
condition, costing the Canadian
economy $51 billion annually in lost
productivity. The cost to a company for
a single employee on a short-term
disability leave due to mental health
concerns totals nearly $18,000.”
- Source: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Consider…
The Bad News!!

9. The Changing Landscape
• Baby boomers are aging
• Workforce is shrinking
• Public Health services are decreasing
• Obesity, depression, diabetes are alarmingly on the rise
• Prescription drug costs are skyrocketing
• Employers are bearing a growing proportion of the burden
For the first time in two centuries life expectancy
will begin to decrease!

10. The Prevalence of Illness
 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness in their
lifetime
- (Global Economic and Business Roundtable)
 Approximately 59% of Canadians are overweight or obese
- (Stats Canada)
 8 in 10 Canadians have at least one risk factor for
cardiovascular disease
(Canadian Population Health Study 2000)
 In Canada, cancer will develop in 45% of men and 40% of
women during their lifetime
- (Canadian Cancer Statistics, 2008)
 40% of adults have high blood cholesterol
- (Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention)

11. The Good News!
• Chronic diseases related to lifestyle account for 70% of total health
care spending
• Improved diet and exercise could reduce cancer rates between 30-
40% worldwide - (Health Canada)
• A large proportion of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease
and colon cancer are preventable
• Reducing salt intake by less than one teaspoon per day would reduce the
incidence of high blood pressure by 30%, saving up to $430 million per year
due to a reduced need for physician visits, laboratory tests, and medications
- (Simon Fraser University)
• 80% of cases of coronary heart disease and 90% of cases of type 2 diabetes,
could be avoided by elimination of certain risk factors.

12. The Good News!
• Studies indicate that diet, exercise
and appropriate medical screening
can have a dramatic influence on all
of these things (except the dog bite
thing)
• Wellness is not a cure-all but it is the
closest thing we have
• Education is a powerful tool to
implement change

13. 70% of an organization’s benefit costs
are incurred in six disease categories:
 Cardiovascular
 Musculo-skeletal
 Respiratory
 Digestive
 Cancer
 Stress
The Good News!
Of these, most are largely preventable through
diet, exercise and other lifestyle choices

14. The Good News!
• “ if all British Columbians had a normal weight (BMI
between 20 and 25) and did not smoke, the cost
avoidance for BC’s healthcare system could reach $2
billion each year”
Dr. Perry Kendall – BC’s Chief Medical Officer

15. The Good News!
It’s up to you!

16. Body
“Environment and genetics carry a 20% stake in a
persons overall health, … but 50% is accounted for by
lifestyle choices,……….”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

17. Fitness and Exercise
• Physical fitness and weight are 2 different
things
• Probably no better investment in a wellness
program than a fitness component
• Incorporate fitness in a number of ways to
include all employees and multiple levels of
current engagement and fitness

18. Fitness and Exercise
Exercise... the poor person's
plastic surgery

19. Fitness and Exercise
Employee Health Concerns:
1900 – Tuberculosis, pneumonia, infectious
diarrhea
- Contagious diseases
2010 - Heart disease, cancer, stroke
- Lifestyle – physical activity

20. Fitness and Exercise

21. Fitness and Exercise
Physical fitness can be defined as the capacity to carry
out the days activities, pursue recreational activities
and have the physical capacity to handle emergency
situations
5 components of physical fitness
• Cardiovascular endurance
• Muscular strength
• Muscular endurance
• Flexibility
• Body Mass

22. Doing 30 minutes of physical
activity of moderate intensity every
day reduces your risk of heart
disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke
and other maladies. Walkers have
been shown to live longer and live
to a healthy, active old age in
greater numbers than their couch
potato friends.
Fitness and Exercise

23. Fitness Examples
• 10,000 steps program (pedometers)
• Form a walking group – think up names
• Sports leagues (ultimate frisbee, slowpitch, bowling
league, etc)
• Stair climbing challenge
• Charity events (Terry Fox, Relay for Life, Breast
Cancer, etc.)
• Organize a scavenger hunt (neighbourhood)

24. Swimming is a healthy activity that
can be continued for a lifetime—the
health benefits swimming offers are
worth the effort it takes you to get to
the pool. It is an activity that keeps
your heart rate up and takes some of
the impact stress off of your body.
Regular swimming builds endurance,
muscle strength and cardio-vascular
fitness. It can serve as a cross-
training element to your regular
workouts.
Fitness and Exercise

25. Fitness activities
• Discounted gym memberships
• Encourage people to bike to work
• Park a block away from work
• Walk your dog / cat / turtle / children
• Reward appropriate behaviours
• Keep it fun

26. Fitness and Exercise
“Ask your doctor
if getting off
your butt is
right for you”

27. A modest exercise program provides the
following health benefits:
•Weight Loss
•Lower blood pressure
•Stronger bones and reduced risk of
osteoporosis
•Lower total cholesterol
•Decreased levels of LDL
•Increased levels of HDL
•Decreased levels of triglycerides
•Increased strength and coordination
•Enhanced immune system
•US Surgeon General (1980)
Health TipFitness and Exercise

28. Take a 20-minute walk every day.
Aside from the proven benefits to
your heart, walking is the perfect
gentle exercise for improving
digestion and encouraging the
cleansing of the lymphatic system.
Fitness and Exercise

29. 1. You don’t exercise
2. You keep poor sleep patterns
3. You’re carrying extra weight
4. You drink too much coffee
5. You don’t eat breakfast
6. You suffer from iron deficiency
Fitness and Exercise

30. “Our study showed that a person’s
exercise capacity, measured by their
ability to perform on a treadmill, was a
more powerful predictor of mortality
than all other risk factors. It also
showed that, regardless of any other
risk factors you have, if you’re
physically fit, you can cut your risk of
premature death in half”
Dr. Jonathan Myers, PHD
(as quoted in Prevention Magazine)
Fitness and Exercise

31. Weight management
• 68% of North Americans are overweight or obese
• How much weight is too much?
• Overweight – BMI over 25
• Obese – BMI over 30
• BMI – body mass index – simple tool to assess a
person’s fat content

32. BMI
There are many BMI
calculators available on line
for individuals to determine
their BMI.
Google: BMI Calculator

33. Healthy Body
Who’s definition?

34. Health Effects
• Type 2 diabetes
• Coronary heart disease
• Cancer
• Sleep apnea
• Liver disease
• High blood pressure / stroke risk

35. Diet and weight loss
Life expectancy
would grow by
leaps and bounds
if green
vegetables
smelled as good
as bacon
- Doug Larson

36. Take Control!!

37. Walking is an excellent weight loss mechanism. One
pound is equal to 3500 calories. Walking burns about
500 calories for a 8 km walk. 500 calories times 7
days = 3500 calories or one pound of weight lost.
Fitness and Exercise

38. Exercise and weight loss
A total of 10,000 steps per day,
equivalent to 5 miles (8.0 km), is
recommended by some to be the
benchmark for an active lifestyle. This
also equates to an approximate 3500
calorie expenditure of energy

39. Activities
• Education is key to a successful program
• Bring in Speakers
• Discuss weight loss in organization communications
• Direct people to community resources
• Put up posters
• Sponsor a healthy, low calorie recipe contest
• Hold a workplace weight loss contest
• Eliminate non nutritional snacks from meetings

40. Take Control!!
Having a hard time shedding pounds? Keep a food journal.
It holds you accountable and helps you lose weight!

41. A fresh roll of sushi can be a flavourful and light meal. In some cases,
however, it can be a diet-buster. Some California rolls are loaded with
mayonnaise and dynamite rolls are made with battered and deep-
fried shrimp. Imitation crab, found in most mall-variety California
rolls is high in carbohydrates, and so is the rice around it. Dipped in
soy sauce, these sushi rolls aren’t much better than a fast-food meal.
Choose fresh, sustainable sashimi instead, and order brown rice where
possible.
Take a second look

42. After a short stay in
America,
Michelangelo's
David returned to
Europe this week.
Healthy Body

43. Mind
The human brain starts working the moment you are born and
never stops until you stand up to speak in public.
George Jessel
With an unquiet mind, neither exercise, nor diet, nor physique
can be of much use.
Samuel Johnson
It is sweet to let the mind unbend on occasion.
Horace
We become what we think about
Earl Nightingale
As a man thinketh – so is he
Bible

44. Stress
• Stress is a physical and / or mental response to real
or perceived demands or threats
• Dr. Hans Seyle divided stress into two categories –
eustress and distress
– Stress which enhances function (physical or mental
training or challenging work) would be considered eustress
– Persistent stress that is not resolved through adaptation or
coping can be deemed distress and can lead to anxiety and
withdrawal

45. Stress has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure,
accelerated aging and type 2 Diabetes. A healthy alternative to
decrease the effects of stress is to make sure you get enough sleep,
lower your fat intake, increase your consumption of antioxidant
rich fruits and veggies, and exercise regularly.
Stress

46. Stress
“Stress is when you wake up screaming and
you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet “
• Experts say that 80% to 90% of all disease is stress related
• 25% of all employees view their jobs as stressful
• 40% report as “very” or “extremely” stressful
• 20% have quit a job because of workplace stress
“Stress is nothing more than a socially
acceptable form of mental illness “

47. Stress - activities
• Take time to read a good book
• Classes on time management
• Classes on communications skills
• Arrange for a financial wellness workshop
• Take stress reduction classes
– Meditation
– Self hypnosis / guided imagery
– Positive thinking
– Progressive muscle relaxation
– Breathing exercises

48. Stress - activities
• Watch comedies over the lunch hour
• Volunteer for someone / something you believe in
• Create a quiet place / break place
• Group fingerpainting
• Managers need to help set the example
• When fingerpainting is not enough – EAP
“The time to relax is when you don't have
time for it.”

49. Tobacco

50. Tobacco
• 20% of people in North America smoke
• 7 out of 10 smokers say they would like to quit
• 5 to 7 relapses are the norm before a smoker finally
quits
• Smokers are addicted to the drugs in cigarettes
• Detrimental effects:
– Cancers
– Heart and lung disease
– Affects pregnancy

51. Good news about quitting
After quitting:
• 1 Day - oxygen and carbon monoxide levels return to normal,
blood pressure begins to drop
• 2 Days – sense of taste and smell are sharpened
• 3 – 6 months – lung function increases and circulation
improves
• 1 year – Risk of heart attack is cut in half
• 2 years (women) risk of cervical cancer drops
• 10 years – risk of stroke and heart disease close to non-
smoker
• 15 years – risk of stroke and heart disease no more than a non
smoker
• Long term – 10 or more years added to person’s life

52. Activities
• Hold on site smoking cessation program
• Work with groups – mutual support
• Offer incentives
• Consider adding drug cessation to your Extended
Health plans
• Education flyers / posters

53. Spirit
• Physical strength can never permanently
withstand the impact of spiritual force.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
• Spiritual relationship is far more precious
than physical. Physical relationship
divorced from spiritual is body without
soul.
Mohandas Gandhi
• Every natural fact is a symbol of some
spiritual fact.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

54. Spirit
If you believe
in nothing else
– believe in
yourself!!

55. Spirit

56. Determine a Focus
• What is the most important focus in your life
right now?
– Fitness and exercise
– Stress
– Tobacco
– Obesity
– Chronic Illness
– Addictions (alcohol and other drugs)

57. Getting it started
• How do we measure?
– McLean’s magazine – Q-Gap test – quality of life
assessment
http://www.scientahealth.com/qgap2/macleans2010/index.aspx
– Literally hundreds of online surveys
– Fitness professional – fitness club, YMCA / YWCA
or other qualified individuals

58. Getting it started
– One step at a time
– We didn’t get where we are overnight – and we
won’t get to our ideal overnight
– Give yourself time (realistic)
– Involve others in your goals
Be true to yourself

59. Take Control!!
If you don't design your own
life plan, chances are you'll fall
into someone else's plan. And
guess what they have planned
for you? Not much.
:: Jim Rohn

60. Wrapping it up
• Elements of a successful wellness program
–Balanced approach – body / mind / spirit
–Take control of your own situation
–Set goals
–Get started

61. Resources
Dr. Martin
Collis’
website

62. Resources
Your insurance
carrier has a number
of resources available
to you
www.inalco.com
Click on CyberClient

63. Ceridan LifeWorks
website for
agencies with EAP
Resources

64. Resources
Government of
Canada has many
resources to assist in
almost any area of
wellness
www.canada.gc.ca

65. Resources

66. Website resource
www.csbt.com

67. Take Control!!
We generally change
ourselves for one of two
reasons: inspiration or
desperation
:: Jim Rohn

68. That’s a wrap!