Commissioner Calls on Businesses to Contribute to Efforts to Improve Health

If New Jersey workers are going to get healthier, they have the best chance of changing unhealthy habits where they spend much of their time: at work.

That’s why state Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd urged a group of business leaders yesterday to take steps to help their employees improve their health. O’Dowd cited national estimates that chronic diseases cause workers to miss 45 million days of work annually and cost $153 billion in lost productivity.

“I really think that it’s important for the employer organizations and business communities not only to recognize the impact [employee health] has on their bottom line, but also to be part of the solution,” said O’Dowd. She spoke at an event at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck hosted by the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey.

She noted national studies that say the two places Americans are most likely to learn better health habits are at school and at their workplace. “Changing those environments can have the most dramatic impact on overall health,” she said.

The opportunities for employers to make a difference include Shaping NJ, a program in which public health employees and employers work together to provide information on how people can improve their diets and exercise routines.

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