Everything is at our fingertips. With a touch to our smartphones we can have food delivered to our door in minutes, get the latest updates on our favorite sports teams, read a book, and surf the Internet without leaving the couch.
On one hand it sounds like the perfect setup for a sedentary lifestyle, but on another hand, technology can help us reach our fitness and weight loss goals. And according to a study conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University, the workplace environment combined with technology is a successful strategy.
The study found workplace programs that include behavioral counseling coupled with supportive emails are effective in managing weight long term. During the study, program participants received professional counseling during their lunch hour, which focused on strategies for menu planning, managing hunger, portion control, and ways to deal with emotional eating. They also received email support from their counselor.
After six months, results showed that employees who participated in the program significantly reduced their risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Researchers believe the camaraderie of the work environment contributed to the positive outcomes. It became a part of the culture, sort of a ripple effect.
While in-person behavioral counseling, like the one conducted in the study above and counseling provided by physicians at The Center for Medical Weight Loss, has proven to be the most effective weight loss strategy, telephone and email counseling have also proven popular in our fast-paced world.
If companies cannot afford to bring in a physician to the office to provide behavioral counseling, a program set up over the telephone or through email comes in a close second, considering we have email at our fingertips. In a six-month study that included counseling over the phone and email, dieters lost, on average, 8 percent of their body weight. Those who received in-person counseling lost 9 percent, on average.
When technology is used correctly, it can combine convenience with results, and the best results include behavioral counseling. Ninety-five percent of self-help diet attempts usually fail, and unfortunately, 83 percent of diet attempts are self-help.
But we are in a situation where now, more than ever with the development of technology, the workplace can make a difference and focus on providing effective wellness programs that include behavioral counseling in some way, shape, or form.
We spend the majority of our time at the office, and it is where we likely adopt healthy or unhealthy behaviors. The statistics speak for themselves, and these easy-to-implement wellness strategies can make a big difference in the overall health of America.
