Employers may have a hand in preventing childhood obesity

Thursday, 22 September 2011 16:00

In addition to the fact that overweight or obese children can increase the cost of employee health benefits when a worker has family coverage, the public health issue can also have an impact on the future workforce.

The nonprofit organization National Business Group on Health reports that employers can do something now to help encourage families to become healthier by influencing parents to lead a lifestyle of eating right, exercising and lowering their stress levels.

"Parents have an enormous impact on the childhood obesity epidemic. A child under the age of 5 is at least three times more likely to become obese if one parent is obese. The chances skyrocket if both parents are obese," said Helen Darling, the nonprofit's president and CEO.

Previous studies have shown that parental stress can have a negative impact on a child's mental well-being, which may lead to behavioral issues or the development of unhealthy habits.

Employee wellness programs that provides take-home tools and resources to reduce stress may help encourage the use of healthy anxiety management techniques for the whole family.