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Worksite Wellness
Program
The UMDNJ Worksite Wellness Program which ran from January 2005 to February 2006 on the Newark campus was a big hit with our employees. Featuring three 12-week sessions and designed to help attain and maintain healthful dietary and physical activity habits, the pilot offered group education classes and individual counseling for weight management.
Promoting wellness in the workplace is the right thing to do
 Having healthy employees and supporting employee health is essential to: (1) productivity and (2) achieving organizational goals. The UMDNJ Institute for Nutrition Interventions in collaboration with the Department of Human Resources is continuing the Worksite Wellness Program for employees on the Newark campus.
This program is being offered to the employees on the Newark campus beginning May 2007 as part of a research study. Key program features include complimentary:
- 3 to 5 individual sessions with a registered dietitian over a 12-52 week period
- Weight management guidelines
- Individually determined nutrition and fitness goals
- Health screening (cholesterol, glucose, weight, blood pressure, body fat)
- Wellness information
- And much more
Want to know more –
Check out Richard Felton’s story. Richard had successful outcomes with the first Worksite Wellness Program, as did many of our employees:
“My family had been after me to lose weight for some time. The more they suggested and begged the more I retreated to those demon M & M’s, Hershey Miniatures and Dunkin Donuts. They are referred to as “comfort food” for a reason.
Then, from out of the blue, comes the announcement from the School of Health Related Professions of an upcoming Worksite Wellness Program on the Newark campus. This wasn’t some “hocus pocus” fad diet, but rather a twelve week program that offered a clear and organized approach to healthier eating. Weekly group lectures dealing with a variety of nutritional, weight management, and light exercise issues would be presented. There were also three one-on-one sessions with the Program Coordinator.
Up until this point, my waistline was crying out for help while my brain was on an extended nutritional vacation. In my mind, a green M & M was considered a veggie. Being part of a research project would force me to be accountable to someone on a weekly basis. There would be confidential weigh-ins each week and our progress would be recorded. The best part was this was not a fad diet program where I might see short-term results, then no results, then a Ben & Jerry’s eating frenzy to fight my depression. No, this was a program that offered a life changing eating philosophy that ultimately would lead to an overall long-term improvement in my health.
One of the best aspects of this program was that I would not have to give up any of the food or treats that I love. I simply had to use good judgment, understand the difference between the good foods and the not-so good foods, and follow the prescribed portion sizes.
Physical activity is the other important component of this program. All the participants were given a pedometer. Walking is not only easy but it is good low impact exercise. With an ultimate goal of 10,000 steps a day we set off walking the halls and corridors of buildings on campus. A Stairwell Exercise Program was also established.
At this point you are probably asking “enough already, did you see any results”? You bet. After the first week I lost two pounds. Over the course of the next eleven weeks I lost another 20 pounds. The amazing thing is that I was never really hungry. I drank a lot of water, ate more fruits and vegetables and cut back on carbohydrates and sweets. I was never a prisoner to the program. I ate out once a week and always took home a doggy bag. I even went on a 7 day cruise and didn’t gain any weight. It all boiled down to eating sensibly and exercising. The most important outcome, after following the program for more than four months, is that my new eating and exercise habits have become routine. It is now a way of life.”
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