Don't Forget About Emotional and Behavioral Health in Your Wellness Programs
When starting a wellness program, physical goals and achievements are easiest to notice, measure and monitor.
However, more and more companies are also focusing on behavior modification and emotional counseling to get to the root causes of obesity and other health risks.
According to a recent article in the Norwich Bulletin, one organization, Backus Weight Loss Center, is including a behavioral health component to its Weight Management and Wellness program.
The article states that in addition to diet and exercise, experts in the Weight Management and Wellness program will provide education on overcoming the mental aspects that can impact the ability to lose weight.
Whether you had bariatric surgery or are just trying to lose 20 pounds, changing behavior and overcoming psychological issues can help you succeed in losing weight— and keeping it off.
Interview those employees that are not making tremendous strides in your wellness and fitness program to find out the reasons. Many times, a counselor will be able to find out that the reasons for non-participation or poor performance in the wellness program can range from such causes as old habits are hard to die, self-sabotage, self-esteem issues, no spousal support or antagonism, or other underlying problems.
Finding out these underlying reasons can help tremendously in modifying behavior and changing habits. No wellness incentives or rewards can be effective to these particular employees as getting to the problem, understanding the dynamics of the situation, and coming up with individual behavior modification plans for them.
It may take more time initially, but in the end, it will be worth the effort.
Here’s to a healthier workforce.