implementing healthy eating programs in the workplace · food choices • changing foods ... –...

CCOHS – October 13, 2010

Implementing Healthy Eating Programs in the Workplace

October 13, 2010

Heather Harvey MHSc, RDProgram Coordinator

Nutrition Resource Centre, OPHA


Outline

1. Current nutrition issues and their affect on workplaces

2. Business case supporting health promotion and healthy eating in the workplace

3. Best practices for promoting healthy eating in the workplace

4. Case Study: Eat Smart!® Workplace Program5. Making it happen at your workplace6. Resources


• Think about your day so far. How many eating decisions have you made?


• We make approximately 227 food related decisions per day1

– What we eat, how much, when, where, with who• Our decisions are impacted by:

– Knowledge– Personal situation – Social environment – Physical environment– How food is presented

Wansink B. (2007) Environment and Behaviour.


Food and Workplaces

• If people spend 8 hours a day at work or 50% of their waking hours…– 113 food decisions are made at work– One meal– Two snacks

• Employees can have access to many eating opportunities at work:– Cafeteria, café, vending machines– Treats in the lunch room– Food at meetings or events


Chronic DiseaseObesity• 55% females and 79% of males, 40-59 y/o are either overweight or

obese1

Heart Disease• 30% of all deaths in Canada are due to heart disease2

High Cholesterol• 10 million Canadian adults have high cholesterol2Hypertension• 18% of 40-59 y/o and 53% of 60-79 y/o have high blood pressure3

Diabetes• 3 million Canadians have Diabetes4

• 90% are Type 24

1 Health Reports. Fitness of Canadian Adults (2010)2 Heart and Stroke Foundation3 Health Reports. Blood Pressure in Canadian Adults (2010)4 Canadian Diabetes Association


Cost of Chronic Diseases

• Costs to the Canadian economy:– Overweight/Obesity 4.3 billion in 2000/20011

– Heart Disease 2.2 billion annually2

– Diabetes by 2020, 6.9 billion a year3

• Cost of employee absenteeism 8.6 billion annually (2001)4

1 Katzmarzyk et al. (2004) Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology2 Heart and Stroke Foundation3 Canadian Diabetes Association4Canadian Council on Integrated Healthcare- A Discussion Paper on Workplace Health (2002)


The Business Case


Return on Investment• Comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion

– 3 review studies:• $3.14 per $1 invested1

• $4.30 per $1 invested2

• $2.05-$4.64 per $1 invested3

• Obesity Prevention Programs– Not much literature– Review of three studies– $1.44 - $4.16 per pound body weight lost4

1 Goetzel RZ (1999) AWHP’s Worksite Health2 Aldana SG (2001) American Journal of Health Promotion3 Chapman LS (2004) The Art of Health Promotion Newsletter4 Anderson et al. (2009) American Journal of Preventive Medicine


Best Practices

• What is Healthy Eating?


Canada’s Food Guide

Emphasis on: – Vegetables and fruit – Whole grains– Lean meats – Low fat milk products– Healthy fats– Moderate portion sizes


Vegetables and Fruit

• Adults should be consuming 7-10 servings• One serving is ½ cup, one medium sized

fruit/vegetable or 1 cup leafy greens• Emphasis on dark green and orange, limiting juice

and no added fat, sugar or salt• 65% of Canadians consume less than 5 servings of

vegetables and fruit a dayQuadir T (2010) Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research


7-10 servingsBreakfast1 svg

Snack1 svg

Lunch – 3 svg

Dinner2 svg


Grain Products

• Adults should be consuming 6-8 servings• One serving is ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, grain, 1

slice bread, ½ bagel• Emphasis on whole grains and grains low in fat,

sugar and salt• Canadians are consuming much less fibre than is

recommended


Milk and Alternatives

• Adults should be consuming 2-3 servings • One serving is 1 cup milk, ¾ cup yogurt, 50 g

cheese• Emphasis on lower fat milk and milk alternatives• Canadians consume on average 81 L of milk a

year1

1Canadian Dairy Information Centre


Meat and Alternatives

• Adults should be consuming 2-3 servings• One serving is 75 g or ½ cup cooked meat, ¾ cup

legumes, 2 eggs• Emphasis on meat alternatives, fish and lean meats

prepared with little or no added salt and fat• Canadians generally consume too much processed

meat and not enough fish


Canadian Dietary Trends1

• 78% of Canadian adults had sodium intakes in excess of the upper limit

• 18% of sodium consumed each day is from meals eaten at food service establishments

• 5 in 10 women and 7 in 10 men have energy intakes that exceed their energy needs

• 25% of men and 23% of women over 19 y/o, have fat intakes above the recommended level

1 CCHS data (2004)


Approaches to Healthy Eating in the Workplace

• Socio-ecological Model


Approaches to Healthy Eating in the Workplace

• Comprehensive Workplace Health– Awareness raising/education– Skill building– Supportive Environment– Policy Development

• Goes beyond looking at just the individual– Changes to organizational culture and social norms

• Long-term commitment


Healthy Eating at Work – What Works…

• Not much data in this area• Evaluation of programs is moderate at best• Most studies focus on education and behavioural strategies,

not the environment• Comprehensive approach generally yields better results• Informational and educational approaches alone were less

effective• Many programs are multifaceted and hard to determine

which components yield the best results

* Taken from: Ni Mhurchu C (2010) BMC Public HealthAnderson LM et al. (2009) American Journal of Preventive Medicine


Supportive Environment – Food Choices

• Changing foods offered in cafeteria, cafés, vending can be effective in improving employee eating habits

• Keys:– Involve employees in determining food choices

• Polls• Taste tests

– Promote and label healthier options– More healthy options offered = employees will

choose them more often


Supportive Environment - Pricing

• Vending study1

– Reductions of 10%, 25% and 50% on low-fat snacks– Increased purchases by 9%, 39% and 93%

• Cafeteria study2

– Increased cost of regular soft drinks by 35%– Purchases decreased by 26% and 36% when

accompanied by educational campaign

1 French SA (2001) American Journal of Public Health2 Block JP (2010) American Journal of Public Health


Supportive Environment- Placement

• Few studies have looked at placement of healthier items specifically

• Marketing principals are “make the item you want to sell the easiest one to access”– Eye level– Not behind signage– On the door of a cooler/fridge

WIN


Point of Purchase Programs

• A few studies have focused exclusively on POP programs– Most show small effects on purchases of healthier foods

• POP work well with other supportive environment initiatives

• Focus on convenience, taste/sensory, energizing nature of healthier options

• Keep messages short and simple


Supportive Environment – More Ideas

• Serving healthier options at meetings and company sponsored events

• Limiting or removing treats from common areas– Ask people to keep these in their office– Encourage people to bring in healthier or fewer treats

• Find other ways to raise funds other than food• Include access to registered dietitians as part of

your health benefits


Eat Smart!® Workplace Program

• Eat Smart!® is an Award of Excellence program that recognizes and promotes Ontario food premises that meet standards of excellence in – nutrition – food safety – smoke-free environment

• Goals– Reduce the incidence of chronic diseases

and food-borne illness in Ontario



• Background– In Ontario since 2001– Coordinated by the Nutrition Resource Centre– Implemented by individual health units to help meet the

Ontario Public Health Standards– Program Partners:

– Supported by the Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport– Approximately 150 workplaces participate in 17

different health units across Ontario



• In order to achieve Eat Smart!® status, workplaces must meet consistent standards in

• Nutrition• Food Safety• Smoke Free Environment

• You can view the standards online at www.EatSmartOntario.ca

http://www.eatsmartontario.ca/


Door Decalfound on the door to an workplace

with an Award of Excellence Award of Excellencefound within the workplace



• Creates supportive environments by increasing access to healthier foods in cafeterias– Café and vending component being pilot tested

• Raises awareness and educates employees through posters, table tents and POP messaging– Individual health units often do further



• In the process of pilot-testing additional standards to strengthen the program– Action Committee involving employees, food

service, public health, management– Standards for the pricing, placement and

promotion of healthier options in cafeterias and vending


What We’ve Learned…1. It’s not easy to change people’s

food choices2. Programs that are comprehensive

and ongoing yield better results3. Involvement from employees is

crucial4. Management support is critical 5. Making healthy eating part of the

company culture (i.e. status quo) is helpful


How to Move Forward

1. Pull together key players, put forward business case and get by-in

2. Assessment 3. Form committee4. Make a plan 5. Consult with experts, review literature,

hire consultants 6. Put plan into action7. Evaluate your efforts8. Along the way – INVOLVE EMPLOYEES


Maintaining Interest

• Focus on what employees are interested in• Solicit employee feedback frequently

– Polls– Taste tests– Focus Groups

• Ongoing, multifaceted initiatives• Change the organizational culture


Healthy Eating Resources

• Canada’s Food Guide www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide

• EatRight Ontario www.eatrightontario.ca

• HealthLink BC Dietitians http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/dietitian/

• Dietitians of Canada www.dietitians.ca

• Eat Well and Be Active Toolkit (Health Canada)www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

• Local Public Health Unit

http://www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide

http://www.eatrightontario.ca/

http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/dietitian/

http://www.dietitians.ca/

http://www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive


Contact Information

• Eat Smart!® Programwww.eatsmartontario.ca

• Heather Harvey, MHSc RDProgram CoordinatorNutrition Resource Centre416-367-3313 [email protected]

http://www.eatsmartontario.ca/

mailto:[email protected]


Questions?

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