Posts from — November 2010

Interest in increasing exercise ranks almost as high as weight control in staff member interest and need. Ideas for increasing staff member awareness and participation in physical activities follow -

o  Fitness courses in the workplace - On-Site exercise could be much more convenient for staff members. Nevertheless, on-site courses require logistical planning and coordination with attention to details.

On-Site courses are typically more feasible for larger corporations.  As part of the steps in planning and assessment, talk with other health promotion programs offering worksite classes. Ask what their experience has been like.

Talk to potential vendors in the area as well. Find out what it would take to offer an onsite fitness class. YMCA’s, health clubs, and community recreation programs are excellent resources for this type of discussion.

It’s also feasible to offer a “mini” introductory workplace class series. A mini series might consist of an introduction to a new exercise area. Workers are then expected to make the transition to home or community based wellness programs.

o  Nerf Olympics -  Nerf games are fun (and entertaining) activities that encourage movement, flexibility, stress reduction, and normally are a good laugh. When planning such an activity consider setting up a “challenge” stations with various activities.

Ideas for activities include hula hoop contests, Nerf basketball free throws, Nerf football tosses, Frisbee “golf”, jump rope, etc.  The Wellness Team will lay out the course.

Each participant goes through the stations and gets a “gold” medal (you can purchase these at party stores and toy stores inexpensively) for completing all the stations (no matter how badly they perform).

Begin each participant at intervals allowing for smooth running, but expect high difficulty stations to be backed up. This delay can add to the fun and creates a “keystone cops” scenario.

Nerf Olympics is a good activity to do with an audience, so encourage cheering colleagues.

o  Make available incentives to personnel who engage in aerobic activity such as walking, running and bicycling on their own time (see goal setting health promotion program, offer points toward prizes, etc.).

o  Distribute maps of walking/jogging trails located near the worksite. Mark distances in steps and miles. Make sure to encourage workers to walk at lunchtime and/or break times.

Post a steps gathered map on a worksite wall where employees can log their steps or miles.

o  Be sure to encourage joggers, walkers, and those who enjoying other forms of exercise to form fitness groups to meet before work, at lunch, or after work.

o  Promote the use of stairs in lieu of elevators. Place bulletin boards, art contests, etc., in stairwells.

o  Sponsor “Bike-to-Work” or Walk-to-Be certain to work week.

o  Schedule five-minute desk stretching at the workplace. This can relieve repetitive motion problems as well as eye and back strain.

o  Sponsor an individual challenge activity like “Climb a Mountain” or “Swim a Sea”. This is an honor system health promotion program in which participating personnel are awarded minutes, steps, or miles credit for cardiovascular exercise (swimming, walking, running, skiing, biking, stair stepping, group fitness, etc.).

The object of this kind of challenge is to accumulate the equivalent mileage it would take to reach the top of a famous mountain, span a body of water (swim the Columbia River), or reach a distant city/county.

Try personalizing the challenge as much as possible to individual interests and/or area geographical matches close to the worksite.

o  Collect a selection of exercise video or DVD tapes. Employees can either check out a tape for home use, or offer a group activity video class.

o  When it is not possible for staff to leave the building to exercise or workout at lunch, try establishing an in-house aerobic walking track for staff member use in an unused part of the workplace for lunch, break or after hours use.

An example of how this issue could  be solved is the use of stationary bicycles and other small exercise equipment provided for staff by some 911 call centers.

o  Sponsor a “Personal Best” Challenge”. Workers run, walk, bicycle, etc.  Their own personal best time. Repeat the personal best challenge each quarter to six months. Each time an staff member improves, offer recognition and an appropriate award.

Moreover, recognize those staff who maintain their personal best in the same way. Make sure to encourage non-participating staff to get involved.

Assist these individuals in picking  an activity that is comfortable and of interest for them, and one in which they are able to succeed and progress.

o  When you offer an introductory or other on-site exercise class or activity, make sure the instructor can relate to the audience, and the audience can relate to the instructor.

Have a Health Promotion Committee member attend a current class by the selected instructor class before the instructor conducting a class at workplace. Additionally, consider the staff who might  be potentially attending the class.

Sometimes larger and/or older exercise instructors are often better accepted by audiences who are similarly sized and aged.

o  Sponsor a themed “virtual” trek. Calculate the mileage for the proposed “trip” ahead of time. Make sure that the distance is appropriate for the number of expected participants and time for the event (six to eight weeks) works well.

For longer events, small teams can accumulate their mileage for the trip. Establish a reporting network. Post a map to track the trip. Chart the progress with stick pins, a magic marker, or a highlighter.

Provide a brief humorous fictional narrative of the trip, posting a new one each week. Include as many participants’ names as possible. Alternate posting humorous texts with health tips along the way. Provide an incentive after the trip.

Ideas for Physical Activity Themes -

o  Swim the Mississippi to the Mardi gras.

o  Take a tour to all Oregon counties.

o  Take a tour of Oregon from Enterprise to Brookings.

o  Run or walk around the world (25,000 miles).

o  Tour de France (take all summer)

o  Tour de France on a stationary bike (take all winter)

o  Indianapolis 500

o  Climb Mount Everest (stairs or stair climbers). Target Sir Edmund Hilary’s birthday or the anniversary of the first conquest as a completion date.

o  Climb Mount Washington or Mt. Hood. Target President’s Day as a completion date.

o  Climb any significant mountain and tie it to any remotely related event.

o  Use time in exercise as a measurement for the contest rather than distance. This permits you to treat all forms of aerobic activity more equitably.

Staff Members usually enjoy sharing nutritional tips and attempting new foods. Sponsor a “nutrition cook-off” and/or healthful potlucks.

o  Nutrition cook-off. Teams of staff members set a menu in advance and bring in prepared foods for an official competition. A nutritionist from the health department or local hospital or community serves as the judge.

Dishes and foods are analyzed based on both health considerations and taste. Following the event, a cookbook of the teams’ recipes could be developed and distributed to the entire staff.

o  Cholesterol Control or “Down Under” Club. People  with cholesterol over 200 mg.  Are invited to voluntarily participate.  The invitation needs to be extended to all employees as the Wellness Team will not have (nor should have) access to individual medical information.

Offer a variety of services to assist in decreasing cardiac risks. Gordian Health Solutions offers cholesterol management health programs for workers qualifying by cholesterol score.

When an worker gets cholesterol numbers below 200 in six months, provide an incentive such as a prize to continue progress. Continue to supply information and reminders for continued cholesterol control.

o  Label reading contest. Designate a particular food or food category. Workers must find the designated products with the lowest/highest fat content in the grocery store. Provide coupons or other prizes for predetermined number of winners or participants.

Or, provide samples of healthier food options based on label information. Show how these compare to less healthy options. Display results of the contest in the staff member break room or at an staff member brown bag event.

Other Wellness Program Nutrition Suggestions -

o  Provide freshly brewed decaffeinated coffee and herbal tea.

o  Sponsor a healthful food “bake-off” once a year.

o  Provide sugar and salt substitutes in the lunchroom.

o  At meetings, replace sweet rolls and donuts with bran muffins, wholewheat bagels, or fresh fruit. Consider offering other decaffeinated coffee and herbal teas plus no-sugar fruit juices.

o  Serve free popcorn in the break area.

o  Develop a cookbook featuring healthy recipes contributed by personnel.

o  Fruit or veggie of the week (or month). Display an “exotic” fruit or vegetable in your lunchroom and see when colleagues know what it is. Staff Members can put their name and the name of the item on an index card.

These could be used to conduct a prize drawing after the week from the cards with the correct answer.  To add fun, encourage individuals  to put down funny answers when in doubt of the real name of the item.

Read some of those names during the prize drawing, and provide a prize for the most creative name. Divide the fruit or vegetable at the drawing and let those interested taste it. Be sure it can be eaten raw.

Unusual food items like star fruit are now readily available in grocery stores work well for this activity as many people have not tried these types of produce.

Weight management is a major area of both worker interest and need. BMI  is the clinical measure that indicates whether individuals  are in a healthful weight range or are overweight or obese.    

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of a person’s overall height to their overall weight. Height and weight are measured during the worker health testing. A computer mathematical calculation provides the Body Mass Index (BMI) score.    

Ideas for workplace based weight management programs include -    

o  Have Weight Watchers, TOPS, or other reputable weight control groups meet in your worksite or nearby. Provide such groups before/after work or at lunch. Staff Member attendance is ordinarily better when workers can attend either wholly or partially on work time.

Break times might  be rolled into lunch break times to minimize worker time away from work duties (with senior level management approval). Workers usually pay their own fees for class attendance and supporting materials.

o  If the health promotion program offers incentives based on participation, award a completion gift when staff member has attended a certain number of weight management sessions or activities.

o  Supply information regarding community weight control groups.

o  Incentives such as cash, tee shirts, plaques, certificates, hours/days off, names on bulletin boards may be given to person who write a weight loss contract and meet their goal.

o  Start a workplace commitment to offer alternative healthy snacks at company-sponsored meetings. Healthful snacks such as fruit, pretzels, plain popcorn, almonds, and veggies provide demonstration as to the company’s commitment to health and staff member well being.

Every workplace will have staff members who will not take part in offered employee health promotion activities. But these same staff members might  be following many healthy practices in their daily living.

A good wellness program should give these individuals  credit and recognition for their good work.

Recognition of healthy goal setting and goal achievement is a good approach for reinforcing what individuals  are doing on their own outside of work, and for reaching those who don’t like group activities.    

Suggested steps for individual objectives and recognition include -    

o  A form employees can fill out which includes the set goal(s) and a target date for completion.   

o  Information on setting realistic objectives, as individuals  often overestimate what they are able to do and by when. It is good to remind employees “baby steps” count!   

o  Maintain a confidential file of the submitted employee goal forms in a dated “tickler” system.   

o  Send a reminder to each employee at the time of each participant’s goal date. This reminder can be a copy of their original goal form. Ask for staff member’s feedback regarding their goal(s) -  completed the goal, need an extension, or have discontinued the goal.   

o  When the form is returned from an employee -    

   1) If an worker has completed the goal, a certificate of completion is received along with a prize or incentive item linked to the goal (if possible).

   2) When the staff member renegotiates the deadline or the goal, the form is re-filed for future follow-up. Continue to encourage the staff member.

   3) When the goal is canceled, send a note acknowledging this “good try” and encourage the worker to attempt again when the timing is right.

o  Allow those interested in this process to set objectives any time and as often as they want.   

Walking Club

Walking clubs or “trekking” can either be done in real time (by scheduling walking groups), or clubs may be set it up so people  do their walking on their own and keep a shared log at work.

After a certain number of miles or steps are logged, personnel are eligible for membership into the walking “club” and receive something like a prize (a walking pin, similar to the ones that volkswalkers get, or a certificate of membership).

Ways to continue interest in walking groups include -

o  Periodic announcements about community walking events. Keep abreast of events in the community, Parks and Recreation health promotion programs, available tracks, inside walking options, volkswalking events, etc.

o  Periodic information specific to walkers; like what to look for when purchasing a pair of walking footwear.

o  Consider a workplace team to participate in a local fundraiser walk, like the March of Dimes walk.

o  A walking club could be the type of “club” that never really meets, or it could be the type that does provide the choice for those who are interested in group walks and events.

Health Awareness Video Programming

Many good health related videos and DVDs are available through loan programs either at no or low costs. Select video programming based on employee interests and needs.

o  Schedule periodic health video viewings at lunch brown bag sessions.

o  The videos could be related to health or other related wellness topics like financial planning, caring for aging parents, or even humor as a “break” from the work routine.

o  Be sure to preview videos before showing them to insure they’re appropriate, not too long, etc.

o  Have a Wellness Committee Host moderate the viewing, greet people , and lead a brief discussion after the video. Develop one or two questions for discussion after previewing the video and use these to lead the discussion. A lot of health videos come with group discussion questions.

o  Try to supply a pertinent educational flyer for participants to take with them for additional information on the topic.

o  When possible, provide popcorn or fruit as a snack.

o  Make available a prize drawing (or points if you’re doing that type of incentive health promotion program) for those attending the video program and discussion.

Health Promotion Mentors

Every workplace ordinarily has at least a couple of personnel who’ve successfully made changes in their health. Usually, other personnel will relate to one of their peers. Coworker support can go a long ways in encouraging healthful changes.

o  Seek volunteers from the work force who’ve experienced a illness resulting from an unhealthful behavior, or survived or recovered from a illness that just happens like breast cancer, and who’ve successfully made positive changes.

o  Connect these success story workers with workers struggling with similar health issues.

o  Both workers participating in the mentoring process are doing so on a voluntary basis. Respect the privacy of this very special relationship.

o  A Wellness Committee person may be involved from a peripheral standpoint, and be available to share other resources that could  be valuable to both workers.

Create and offer “free” medical information resources as part of the overall employee wellness strategy. Reliable information is available free, or at very low cost, through many resource areas.

Ideas and resources are going to be suggested here. Additionally review the Resource and Website listings after this guide for more ideas and resources.

Health Promotion Bulletin Board Ideas

Most workplaces have at least one staff member bulletin board located in a central area. Obtain permission to use part of that bulletin board as the “Wellness Corner”, or obtain senior management approval to develop a bulletin board dedicated to wellness. Wellness bulletin board suggestions include -

o  White 8 1/2″ x 11″ flyers will be ignored. Use color or nonstandard size and shape when possible.

o  Change your bulletin boards often. If they remain the same too long, they become “white noise.”

o  Play “Dialing for Dollars” to increase bulletin board attention. Make a random phone call and ask an worker to name the health fact of the day as listed on the health bulletin board. Award nominal prizes to winners.

Use an “activities calendar” with targeted advertisements, football schedules, recipes, etc. that will encourage keeping the calendar updated and utilized.

o  Post or email quick tips on health. Get tips from the Hope Health website at - http - //www.hithope.com/main.php?dir=content&file=health_tips.txt.

Wellness Library

Develop an employee library in a central area that has easy employee access. Resources and ideas for the library could include -

o  A local health resources guide with referral lists to help workers hook up with resources when on-site resources can’t be provided. Keep referral lists in a 3-ring binder and update monthly.

o  A brief, periodic wellness newsletter or update flyer distributed to staff members via their paycheck or department meetings. It is easy to make use of the monthly CIS Healthful Benefits staff member update for this purpose.

o  A variety of consumer books, magazines, videos, and articles related to good health. Solicit employee donations of current titles and recyclable items.

Make certain to encourage staff to checkout materials for loan. Update resources regularly. Consider using some of the CIS Healthy Benefits employee wellness grant funds for good library resources.

o  Healthy resources are available at local libraries. Publicize those resources within your on-site wellness library.

o  Health magazines could be kept in the staff member break area.

o  Download extra copies of the CareWise quarterly newsletter from the CIS website at http - //www.cciservices.com, Healthful Benefits, and circulate these in employee break room areas.

o  Develop a consumer medical information bin that is updated with articles and pertinent information regarding consumerism and healthcare. Check the resource listings at the end of this guide for additional ideas.

o  Free brochure materials could be obtained from local non-profit agencies (American Red Cross, Heart Association, Cancer Society, Lung Association), and made available in worker areas.

See website listings and other resources in the back of this guide for more ideas regarding free medical resources.

New Year’s Resolution Bulletin Board

o  Have workers voluntarily write down their health-related New Year’s resolutions on 3″ x 5″ index cards with their names on the back.

o  Post the cards in the form of a collage on the wellness bulletin board.

o  Leave the cards up for about two weeks, and then store them in a secure wellness file.

o  Post the cards near the end of February to remind staff members of their objectives and self-commitments.

o  Take the cards down again after another week and again store in a secure file.

o  Mail the cards back to the individuals along with health promotion program promotions or other information announcements at the end of March.

o  Throughout the year, continue to offer wellness opportunities, support groups, or related activities.

The feasibility of worksite based wellness courses depends on the size of the workforce. Worksite programs have to be supported with an adequate number of interested workforce to keep a class going.

Normally a certain level of staff member involvement is also necessary to ensure availability of facilities like a room and equipment.

There are wide ranges of ongoing courses which could be offered in the worksite, including aerobics, yoga, tai chi, stretching, weight management, stress management, tobacco use cessation, and self defense.

Depending on results from an interest survey, offering an “introductory” mini class series regarding a topic of high interest could  be a good beginning idea.

For example, offer a series of five beginning yoga classes to acquaint staff members with the posture and relaxation advantages of yoga. After an introductory series, staff members may want to pursue something on their own in the community.

Or, possibly an staff member interest group could create where interested employees would pursue the chosen activity as a group.

Who Pays for What When? (Staff Member Subsidies and Discounts)

Many staff and wellness teams are under the impression that the business ought to pay for all wellness activities. Don’t forget the business is compensating the bulk of the staff member’s health and benefits package.

When vacation time, insurance costs, and sick costs are all factored in, the average American business spends very close to $10,000 each year per worker on related health, time off, and lost productivity costs.

Health is a personal responsibility and a gift we can all give to ourselves. Be sure to help employees increase their understanding and appreciation of self-care for their health by stimulating their share of accountability for healthy and safe living and working.

Other ways of financing worksite based wellness activities and to also “internally” motivate workers are included here -

Subsidies

If there is a budget but not enough space or staff to offer on-site courses that are available elsewhere (like Weight Watchers, gyms exercise classes, Jazzercise, hospital community ed wellness programs, etc.), a subsidy could be offered to those who take advantage of these community resources.

Establish guidelines ahead of time about eligibility and maximum reimbursement, conditions for reimbursement, whether proof of participation is required and what form it ought to take (receipts, log forms, etc).

The wellness policy also needs to address whether someone is eligible one time only, once a year, every five years, etc. for reimbursements.

o  Subsidies work best when the employee puts out the money and effort first, and then gets a partial reimbursement or completion gift based on some sort of attendance or participation completion.

o  The reimbursement ought to be large enough to be worth the trouble of beginning the health promotion program, but shouldn’t cover the entire cost the health promotion program.

o  It is easy to get carried away with requiring “proof” in these kinds of wellness programs. Do not make it too bureaucratic or no one will use it. It is crucial to remember no matter how well your policies are set up, there are going to be people , usually very few, who cheatâ.”that’s unavoidable and shouldn’t become the major focus of documentation requirements.

o  Consider appropriate participation gifts in place of financial reimbursement. for  instance, if an staff member meets attendance criteria for a stretching class, provide a stretching strap or yoga mat as the completion gift.

o  Be sure to check with the executive management team regarding policy for subsidies, tax reporting, etc.

Discounts and Donations

Employee discounts and donations could be sensitive areas for public employers and staff. In many jurisdictions, public staff are not permitted to receive any kind of special consideration, including discounts, from local organizations, providers, or providers.

Be certain to check organizational ethics and procurement policies before asking for discounts.

If senior management policy does allow for discounts and donations, the whole solicitation process needs to be conducted fairly and spelled out in writing. All interested, licensed providers, and service providers should’ve a fair unbiased opportunity to participate if they so choose.

No inappropriate advantages are given to one provider over another in terms of access to staff, publicity, etc. No provider or service provider must be promised or guaranteed additional revenue, organization, or anything else if they select to voluntarily offer a donation or discount to staff.

Follow the same donation and/or solicitation policies when offering provider door prizes or gifts at an corporation-sponsored health fair.

Hollywood Stars or American Celebrities

This is another fun activity focusing on healthy weight reduction or maintenance.

o  Participants pick a secret code name (the name of a Hollywood star or other celebrity).

o  Participants weigh-in with a “trusted” confident privately - at which time a healthful weight goal is set for the period of the contest.

o  Post a chart with everybody’s secret name assigning each a starting weight of zero.

o  Participants weigh themselves weekly and submit the weight with their code name on the paper.

o  Weight is expressed about a beginning weight of zero. for  instance +4 would indicate a weight gain of four pounds; while â.”2 would indicate a losing weight of two pounds.

o  Future weigh-ins must be about the beginning weight, not the previous week’s weight.

o  The chart is kept current and posted publicly by Health Promotion Committee.

o  Post a “weight control hint of the week” next to the tracking chart.

o  Give “take one” pamphlets on weight management education or motivational tips by the chart.

o  Celebrate staff member progress after the activity.

Wellness Book/Journal Club and/or Book Exchange

Similar to any other book discussion group, the readings and focus of this group is health. With a wide “health” definition, many subjects may be appropriate including communication, self-improvement, relationships, money management, environment, ecology, recreation, cooking, etc.

Let the group choose the topics and books. Another suggested idea is to establish a book swap area where readers can trade the book(s) for those that others have left for trade.

Pre-Make sure to work Stretching Group

A few minutes of gentle stretching is a great way to safely start the workday. A professional fitness instructor may  be brought in to teach proper stretching techniques.

After that, most often an internal group can meet and run itself. Provide periodic refresher sessions with the personal trainer or instructor to vary the routine and help keep participants motivated.

Considerations for worksite stretching -

o  Make certain to work with your Management Team for stretching endorsement.

o  Stretches ought to be taught by a knowledgeable and licensed individuals.

o  Even though pre-work stretches are done on an staff member’s personal time, the question of corporation liability will likely arise, in particular when someone reports an associated stretching injury.

Check with your business’s legal counsel and/or contact your business workers’ compensation carrier to help in design of an staff member release of liability waiver.

Worksite Chair Massage

Bring in a licensed massage therapist to offer chair massage at the employees’ expense. These massages are done fully clothed with the recipient seated in a chair.

The therapist brings in a special chair that fully supports the head and shoulders while an upper body massage is given. Sessions are ordinarily 15 minutes, with an typical cost between $12.00 - $15.00 per session.

Post a sign up sheet with appointments at intervals advised by the therapist. Make certain the therapist is qualified. It will be necessary to provide a private space. A group of “regulars” may evolve which may establish a regular massage schedule.

Obtain an agreement with senior level management so workers can trade massage time for coffee or personal break time.  Note - senior level management may want the therapist to supply proof of liability insurance.

Art at Work

Art may be a good way to nurture employees’ creative side and help them manage stress at the same time. Bring in various art and craft supplies once a month and let the creative juices flow.

If participants are willing, have a temporary “art show” later that day. Or, feature staff member art during certain months or times of the year. Make certain to encourage workers to post their art in their personal workspaces.

Healthful Email-a-Week

Develop an email list of coworkers who want to receive an inspirational, funny or educational health quote, thought, tip or idea once a week by email.

Ask members of the Wellness Committee to collect ideas initially, and then ask the members of the email list to contribute ideas and information as time goes on. Follow all corporation rules regarding work time and email protocols.

Hobby Show or Demonstrations

Hobbies are excellent stress management tools. Make certain to encourage workforce to show off their talents by sponsoring a “hobby fair” or demonstration. Send around a sign up sheet.

See who’d be willing to bring in samples of their hobby, and maybe even do a live demonstration. Fairs or demonstrations could be scheduled as a group activity or brown bag that permits interested staff members to interact.

Or, hobby sharing could be done in groupings by topic over a scheduled period of time, permitting for a brief presentation and/or demonstration on the part of the hobbyist.

Brown bag presentations are a good way to develop awareness about selected health topics. Community health experts will often provide presentations of a half hour or less at no charge.

Use employee interest surveys to follow up on employee interests that are expressed.  The definition of health is broad, so brown bag presentations might also cover a broad variety of topics. Topics could include physical, mental, emotional, women’s health, men’s health, financial health, etc.

Considerations for brown bag presentations -

o  Brown bag sessions are good for awareness building. This seed planting process can help workers become more proactive about healthful choices.

o  Don’t schedule the wellness program for the full hour - normally 40 minutes or so works best. This will allow folks a chance to come and go, grab a quick bite, ask questions, etc.

o  When the subject matter is sensitive, such as domestic violence, substance abuse, etc., it is possible individuals are going to be reluctant to attend for fear of being associated publicly with the problem. They will, nevertheless, attend when the focus is on helping family members, coworkers, etc.

o  Ensure that staff hear valuable information and will leave with tools and resources to carry out the message. Be sure to work with the presenter on information strategies that work for your worker group.

o  Promotional materials should publicize the wellness program with a name that indicates the brown bag focus. Include all other pertinent information like where, who, when, etc.

o  Some topics that can’t be covered in one session could  be offered in a short series. It will work best to schedule one session each week instead of several sessions in one week.

For example, you could offer a 3-week series on healthful consuming instead of attempting to cram all the information into one session.

o  A catchy title can draw people  to the event.  An example of this would be calling lunchtime presentations “Noonlighting”

o  If possible, provide a free healthy snack for workforce who attend.

o  To keep the momentum going, try establishing up a routine monthly time and day for lunchtime seminars.

o  If staff members work in shift or are in work groups in different geographical areas, devise a plan that offers equal attendance opportunity to all.

Resources -

1. Please see the idea list after this guide which offers a selection of resource topics of interest to staff.

2. Every community has many individuals, experts, or experts from voluntary groups (heart, cancer, lung associations), special interest groups (Y’s, Red Cross, Weight Watcher’s, Safety Council, Alcoholics Anonymous), or the local health department as possibilities to present workplace sessions free or at a low cost.

Many of these contacts will also provide affordable materials.

3. Topic videos can be used for a brown bag session.

Often individuals  shy away from low fat foods because they think these foods don’t taste good.  To help inform employees, buy a variety of low fat foods and put them out in a conference room for an hour or so for a drop-in tasting session.

Or, arrange for low-fat potlucks stimulating staff members to bring and share their favorite low fat or healthy dishes.

Considerations -

o  Make sure the selections actually taste good.

o  Provide a “fact sheet” with the names and price of the various products to assist participants if they want to purchase these products from the grocery store.

o  Give other written information on good nutrition for any interested participants to take. Make use of websites and other resources listed in the Resource Section at the end of this guide.

o  Provide small tasting spoons or wooden ice cream tasters.

o  It does not take much of each item to give participants a taste of the food or dish. It isn’t necessary to buy enough, or bring enough, food to provide a meal.

o  Be certain to set up the tasting room after lunch so participants can go in on their own and sample.

o  Watch for overly sugary itemsâ..sometimes low fat means high sugar - so be certain to check the label.

o  Typical purchases for a worksite sampling could include -  two boxes of low fat crackers, a package of low fat cheese, a box of low fat cookies, two or three low fat spreads like hummus, low fat cream cheese, a package of honey nut or other flavored rice crackers, and one or two other low fat items.

o  Put signs on the table politely reminding participants that the idea is to sample, not have a meal.

o  Give a beverage like a new kind of fruit juice or herbal tea.