Diet, Wellness, and Productivity

Ok, I know most of us are about to fall off of the diet wagon with Halloween candy, but here is an interesting set of statistics;,

73% - Employees with healthy diets who report having high levels of productivity
24% - Employees with poor diets who report having high levels of productivity

51% - Employees with ideal weight who report having high morale
25% - Employees who are overweight who report having high morale

57% - Employees with a healthy weight who reported having high levels of productivity
27% - Employees who are very overweight who reported having high levels of productivity

Source: ComPsych

(Not) Always Workin' At Work

FPCNational is an executive recruiting firm. We recently ran across a couple of surveys they conducted:

On internet use at work:

86% - Employees who say their personal internet use at work is at an acceptable level
26% - Employees who say they never use the internet for personal use at work (NEVER?)
4% - Employees who admit to using the internet more than they probably should while at work. But they seem to try and justify it by saying that it makes them a better employee
5% - Employees who say their internet use decreases their productivity

On job hunting at work:

64% - Employees looking for a job outside of work hours
15% - Employees looking for jobs in the early morning or evenings at work
16% - Employees who do job searches during work hours
5% - Employees who look for a new job on their lunch break

They say nothing about any type of correlation between the two surveys, but inquiring minds...

Source: FPCNational

Extended Health Coverage For Dependent College Students

President Bush recently signed a new law that prohibits health insurers from terminating coverage for dependent college students who leave school due to a medical condition or serious injury.

The new law allows dependent college students who are undergoing a serious illness or suffering from a major injury to maintain health insurance coverage, even though they are no longer attending school. The coverage can last for up to one year. The bill came about after a New Hampshire college student with cancer had to continue to go to school on a full-time basis to avoid losing health coverage under her parents' health plan.

The law is effective for plan years beginning on or after October 9, 2009.

The Mouth-Body Connection

I recently received some information from my Assurant Employee Benefits rep about their dental products. One of the pieces he shared with me addressed the fact that what goes on in your mouth affects what happens all over your body. In fact, there is a mounting evidence that shows that your mouth is a window into many of the health issues in your body. The information went on to say that "more than 75% of American adults suffer from various forms of periodontal (gum) disease and many don't know it. This is alarming because periodontal bacteria can enter the bloodstream and travel to major organs and begin new infections."

Some of the dangers include:
Pregnancy - A SEVENFOLD increase in the risk of pregnant women delivering preterm, low birth weight babies. This is the one that got my attention.
Heart disease - the nation's leading cause of death. Studies have shown links between cardiovascular disease and key bacteria in periodontal disease.
Stroke - There is a 4.3 times great risk of stroke for those with periodontal disease than those with mild or no periodontal disease.
Diabetes - Approximately 95% of Americans with diabetes also have periodontal disease.

Is going to the dentist going to make all of these problems go away? Of course not. But many people do not go to a doctor for medical care on a regular basis. However, many will visit a dentist office. What if they find and treat their periodontal disease? What if they are made aware of the potential health risks while at the dentist office? How might this help them in catching (and preventing?) these potential health risks? How might that affect absenteeism at work? One's overall health? World peace? OK, that last one is a stretch, but you get the idea. Good dental care can provide far greater benefits than filling the occasional cavity.

How's Your Retirement Planning Going?

Below is a graph which shows the results of a survey of people age 55 and older and the value of their retirement savings plans (exclusive of any pension plans). This survey was taken before the event of the last several weeks. While it does not paint a very rosy picture, it underscores the need to save for retirement. (Click on graph for a larger version)

And if planning were not difficult enough, life expectancy is growing. According to Social Security tables, a 65 year old female can expect to live another 19 years. So again, how is your retirement planning going?
Who are you turning to for financial advice?
Do you have a complete financial plan?
Have you made any adjustments lately?
Have you made any estate planning decisions? Are the documents up-to-date?

If you have questions like these and don't know where to turn, contact us. We are NOT financial planners, but we know some good ones. We would love to introduce you to them. We will be happy to arrange a lunch meeting where you can hear what they have to say in a no-pressure, no-obligation setting. After the meeting, you decide what happens from there.