Health Wellness Program

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

o  Fitness courses in the worksite - Onsite exercise may be much more convenient for staff. However, onsite courses require logistical planning and coordination with attention to details.

Onsite courses are typically more feasible for bigger businesss.  As part of the steps in planning and assessment, speak with other wellness programs offering workplace classes. Ask what their experience has been like.

Talk to potential providers in the area as well. Find out what it would take to offer an on-site fitness class. YMCA’s, fitness clubs, and community recreation programs are good resources for this type of discussion.

It is also feasible to offer a “mini” introductory worksite class series. A mini series might consist of an introduction to a new physical activity area. Staff Members are then expected to make the transition to home or community based health promotion programs.

o  Nerf Olympics -  Nerf games are fun (and entertaining) activities that encourage movement, flexibility, stress reduction, and generally are a good laugh. When planning such an activity consider establishing 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 buy these at party stores and toy stores inexpensively) for completing all the stations (no matter how badly they perform).

Start each participant at intervals permitting 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  Provide incentives to personnel who engage in aerobic activity such as walking, running and biking on their own time (see goal establishing wellness program, offer points toward prizes, etc.).

o  Distribute maps of walking/jogging trails located near the workplace. Mark distances in steps and miles. Be certain to encourage staff to walk at lunchtime and/or break times.

Post a steps accumulated map on a workplace wall where staff members can log their steps or miles.

o  Be sure to encourage joggers, walkers, and those who enjoying other forms of exercise to form workout 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-Make sure to work week.

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

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

The object of this type 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.

Attempt 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. Staff Members can either review a tape for home use, or offer a group activity video class.

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

An example of how this issue may  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.

Likewise, recognize those workers who maintain their personal best in the same way. Be sure to encourage non-participating workers to get involved.

Assist these person 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 onsite exercise class or activity, be certain the instructor can relate to the audience, and the audience can relate to the instructor.

Have a Wellness Committee member attend a current class by the selected instructor class prior to the instructor conducting a class at worksite. Moreover, consider the employees 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. Be 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.

Give 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. Give an incentive after the trip.

Ideas for Exercise 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.

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

o  Nutrition cook-off. Teams of employees 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 investigated 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 staff as the Wellness Team won’t have (nor should have) access to individual medical information.

Make available a variety of services to assist in lowering cardiac risks. Gordian Health Solutions offers cholesterol management health programs for workforce qualifying by cholesterol score.

If an staff member gets cholesterol numbers below 200 in six months, provide an incentive like 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. Employees must find the designated products with the lowest/highest fat content in the supermarket. Provide coupons or other prizes for predetermined number of winners or participants.

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

Other Health Promotion Program Nutrition Suggestions -

o  Provide freshly brewed decaffeinated coffee and herbal tea.

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

o  Give 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  Create a cookbook featuring healthful recipes contributed by employees.

o  Fruit or veggie of the week (or month). Display an “exotic” fruit or vegetable in your lunchroom and see when peers know what it is. Employees 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 people  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 certain it could be eaten raw.

Unusual food items like star fruit are now readily available in supermarkets work well for this activity as many people haven’t tried these types of produce.

Weight management is a major area of both employee interest and need. Body Mass Index (BMI)  is the clinical measure that indicates whether people  are in a healthy weight range or are overweight or obese.

The Body Mass Index is a measure of a person’s overall height to their overall weight. Height and weight are measured during the employee biometric screening. A computer mathematical calculation provides the Body Mass Index score.

Ideas for workplace based weight control programs include -

o  Have Weight Watchers, TOPS, or other reputable weight control groups meet in your workplace or nearby. Provide such groups before/after work or during lunchtime. Employee attendance is normally better if staff members can attend either wholly or partially on work time.

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

o  When the wellness program offers incentives based on participation, award a completion gift when worker has attended a certain number of weight control sessions or activities.

o  Supply information regarding community weight management 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  Establish a worksite commitment to offer alternative healthy snacks at corporation-sponsored meetings. Healthy snacks such as fruit, pretzels, plain popcorn, almonds, and veggies provide demonstration as to the corporation’s commitment to health and staff member well being.

Every worksite will have personnel who’ll not take part in offered employee health promotion activities. But these same personnel could  be following many healthful practices in their daily living.

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

Recognition of healthful 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 workforce can fill out which includes the set goal(s) and a target date for completion.   

o  Information on establishing realistic goals, as individuals  often overestimate what they can do and by when. It’s 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) When an employee 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 goals 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 could be set it up so individuals  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 choices, volkswalking events, etc.

o  Periodic information specific to walkers; such as what to look for when purchasing a pair of walking shoes.

o  Consider a workplace team to take part in a local fundraiser walk, such as the March of Dimes walk.

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

Health Awareness Video Programming

A lot of good health related videos and DVDs are available through loan programs either at no or low costs. Choose video programming based on staff member interests and needs.

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

o  The videos can 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 certain to preview videos before showing them to insure they’re appropriate, not too long, etc.

o  Have a Health Promotion Committee Host moderate the viewing, greet individuals , 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  Attempt to supply a pertinent educational handout for participants to take with them for additional information on the topic.

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

o  Make available a prize drawing (or points when you’re doing that kind of incentive wellness program) for those attending the video program and discussion.

Wellness Mentors

Every workplace usually has at least a couple of employees who have successfully made changes in their health. Typically, other employees will relate to one of their coworkers. Peer support can go a long ways in stimulating healthful changes.

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

o  Connect these success story staff members with staff members 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 Health Promotion Committee person may be involved from a peripheral standpoint, and be available to share other resources that may  be valuable to both workers.

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

Ideas and resources will be suggested here. Furthermore review the Resource and Website listings after this guide for more ideas and resources.

Health Promotion Bulletin Board Ideas

Most worksites 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 level management approval to create 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. When they remain the same too long, they become “white noise.”

o  Play “Dialing for Dollars” to raise bulletin board attention. Make a random phone call and ask an employee 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.

Health Promotion 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 staff hook up with resources if onsite 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 via their paycheck or department meetings. It is easy to make use of the monthly CIS Healthy Benefits employee update for this purpose.

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

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

o  Healthful resources are available at local libraries. Publicize those resources within your onsite wellness library.

o  Health magazines can be kept in the employee break area.

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

o  Create a consumer medical information bin that is updated with articles and pertinent information regarding consumerism and health care. Check the resource listings after this guide for more ideas.

o  Free handout materials could be acquired 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 health resources.

New Year’s Resolution Bulletin Board

o  Have personnel 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 goals 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 wellness 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 workplace based wellness classes depends on the size of the workforce. Workplace programs have to be supported with an adequate number of interested employees to keep a class going.

Generally a certain level of worker involvement is also necessary to ensure availability of facilities such as a room and equipment.

There are broad ranges of ongoing courses which can be offered in the worksite, including aerobics, yoga, tai chi, stretching, weight management, stress management, smoking 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  instance, offer a series of five beginning yoga courses to acquaint staff members with the posture and relaxation benefits of yoga. After an introductory series, staff members may want to pursue something on their own in the community.

Or, possibly an employee interest group could develop where interested personnel would pursue the chosen activity as a group.

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

A lot of employees and wellness teams are under the impression that the corporation should pay for all wellness activities. Do not forget the corporation 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 employee on related health, time off, and lost productivity costs.

Health is an individual 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 healthful and safe living and working.

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

Subsidies

When there’s a budget but not enough space or staff to offer onsite courses that are available elsewhere (like Weight Watchers, health and fitness centers exercise classes, Jazzercise, hospital community ed health promotion programs, etc.), a subsidy can be offered to those who take benefit 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 worker 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 must be big enough to be worth the trouble of starting the wellness program, but shouldn’t cover the entire cost the wellness program.

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

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

o  Make certain to check with the upper-level management team regarding policy for subsidies, tax reporting, etc.

Discounts and Donations

Worker discounts and donations could be sensitive areas for public businesss and personnel. In many jurisdictions, public personnel aren’t permitted to receive any type of special consideration, including discounts, from local businesses, vendors, or providers.

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

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

No inappropriate advantages are given to one provider over another as for access to staff, publicity, etc. No provider or service provider should be promised or guaranteed additional revenue, company, or anything else when they select to voluntarily offer a donation or discount to staff.

Follow the same donation and/or solicitation policies when offering vendor door prizes or gifts at an business-sponsored wellness fair.

Hollywood Stars or American Celebrities

This is another fun activity focusing on healthful losing weight or maintenance.

o  Participants choose 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 healthy weight goal is set for the period of the contest.

o  Post a chart with everyone’s secret name assigning each a beginning 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 starting weight of zero. for example +4 would indicate a weight gain of four pounds; while â.”2 would indicate a losing weight of two pounds.

o  Future weigh-ins ought to be in relation to the beginning weight, not the previous week’s weight.

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

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

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

o  Celebrate worker progress at the end of the activity.

Health Promotion 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 select 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-Be sure to work Stretching Group

A few minutes of gentle stretching is a excellent way to safely start the workday. A expert fitness instructor could  be brought in to teach proper stretching techniques.

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

Considerations for worksite stretching -

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

o  Stretches should be taught by a knowledgeable and certified individuals.

o  Even though pre-work stretches are done on an employee’s personal time, the question of business liability will likely arise, specifically if someone reports an associated stretching injury.

Talk 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.

Workplace 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 normally 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 licensed. 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 upper management so workforce can trade massage time for coffee or personal break time.  Note - upper management may want the therapist to supply proof of liability insurance.

Art at Work

Art could 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 worker art during certain months or times of the year. Make certain to encourage personnel to post their art in their personal workspaces.

Healthful Email-a-Week

Develop an email list of peers 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 organization rules regarding work time and email protocols.

Hobby Show or Demonstrations

Hobbies are good stress management tools. Be certain to encourage workers 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 can be scheduled as a group activity or brown bag that permits interested personnel to interact.

Or, hobby sharing may be done in groupings by topic over a scheduled period of time, authorizing for a brief presentation and/or demonstration for 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 worker interest surveys to follow up on worker interests that are expressed.  The definition of health is broad, so brown bag presentations might also cover a wide variety of topics. Topics might 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 staff members become more proactive about healthy options.

o  Don’t schedule the health promotion 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 people will be reluctant to attend for fear of being associated publicly with the problem. They will, however, attend if the focus is on assisting family members, coworkers, etc.

o  Ensure that workforce hear valuable information and will leave with tools and resources to carry out the message. Make certain 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 such as where, who, when, etc.

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

For example, you might offer a 3-week series on healthful consuming in lieu of trying 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 healthful snack for employees who attend.

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

o  If workers 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 at the end of this guide which offers a variety of resource topics of interest to staff.

2. Every community has many person, 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 worksite sessions free or at a low cost.

Many of these contacts will also provide low cost materials.

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

Very often people  shy away from low fat foods because they think these foods do not taste good.  To help inform staff, purchase a selection 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 encouraging workforce to bring and share their favorite low fat or healthful 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 buy these products from the grocery store.

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

o  Give small tasting spoons or wooden ice cream tasters.

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

o  Make sure 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 make certain to check the label.

o  Typical purchases for a workplace 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 such as 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  Offer a beverage like a new type of fruit juice or herbal tea.