Study: Half of corporate and government offices offer wellness programs

Almost half of all U.S. worksites offered some type of health promotion or wellness program in 2017, according to a new study in the American Journal of Health Promotion.

Nearly 30% of those job locations offered a program for physical activity and fitness. The findings of the report show that worksite health promotion continues to grow in America, according to a news release from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health strategies include health-promoting policies, health benefits design, and physical changes to the work environment.

Some 19% of worksites offered a program to help employees stop using tobacco products, and about 17% offered a program to address obesity or weight management.

“More than 156 million full-time workers in the U.S. spend most of their daily waking hours in the workplace, providing employers with an important opportunity to foster a healthy and safe work environment,” said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D. “It is encouraging to see a growing number of worksites developing and promoting a culture of health for employees.”

For more information on CDC’s Workplace Health Promotion activities, visit https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/index.html.