Vitality Wellness Program Recognized in World Economic Forum Report for Innovation in Addressing Workplace Wellness

CHICAGO, Feb. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Workplace Wellness Alliance, part of the World Economic Forum released a report at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland on January 25 on the latest thinking on workplace wellness and metrics. The report is based on research and data from over two million employees from 25 companies across 125 countries. The Vitality Group's parent company, Discovery, is one of the Leadership Members of the Alliance, and was recognized in the report for its Vitality wellness program which incentivizes healthy behaviors and outcomes.

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Discovery CEO Adrian Gore facilitated a session on wellness in the workplace that included CEOs of major companies, health ministries, and representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) and NGOs. The session connected workplace wellness to the broader discussion of human capital and competitiveness. "Global health demands better prevention models," said Gore. "This is critical if we are to address the rapid rise in healthcare costs while at the same time maintain and increase health gains." 

Workplace wellness programs are increasingly recognized as a means of reducing the impact of chronic diseases of lifestyle on individuals and organizations. Research published in January by The Vitality Group in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), showed that if physical inactivity, low fruit and vegetable intake, smoking, obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and alcohol abuse, were lowered to their theoretical minimum, the average annual costs per working adult would be reduced by 18.4%. 

"Workplace wellness programs offer a long-term solution for organizations," said Alan Pollard, The Vitality Group CEO. "Some organizations and programs have made significant and measurable progress in improving the health of their workforce and their financial bottom line. What are critical now are collaboration and the sharing of knowledge. This requires a concerted effort and coordination by employers, governments and healthcare professionals to raise awareness and implement programs to stem the rising tide of chronic diseases of lifestyle in the workplace."

The report issued at this year's Workplace Wellness Alliance meeting, Making the Right Investment: Employee Health and the Power of Metrics, investigates the importance of workplace wellness as a key tenet of employee wellbeing, organizational resilience, sustainability and competitive advantage. Find the report at: http://www.weforum.org/reports/workplace-wellness-alliance-making-right-investment-employee-health-and-power-metrics

About The Vitality Group
The Vitality Group is a member of Discovery Holdings Limited. Vitality wellness programs serve more than 4 million members worldwide at companies in a wide range of sizes and industry categories, improving individuals' health and wellbeing as well as employers' bottom lines. With a foundation based on actuarial science and behavioral economic theory, Vitality encourages changes in lifestyle that reduce healthcare costs, both in the short run and long term, by rewarding members for addressing their specific health issues.  www.thevitalitygroup.com

SOURCE The Vitality Group