IHRSA EUROPE UPDATE
NEWS
a vision for a healthier world meredith poppler • vice president of industry growth, ihrsa
exercise and physical activity as a way of combating obesity, reducing chronic disease and lowering healthcare costs. In May, I and around 60 industry
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leaders continued this drive and took our sector’s message of ‘healthy lifestyle and primary prevention’ to US lawmakers in Washington, DC. Every single senator, member of congress and congressional staff member I spoke with agreed with our message. However, we still have a tough battle
ahead – and not only in the US. According to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) – an international organisation helping governments tackle the economic, social and governance challenges of a globalised economy – obesity rates in the UK are increasing faster than in most developed countries, and the proportion of people overweight is projected to rise another 10 per cent over the next decade. Thankfully, evidence shows that primary
prevention, healthy lifestyles and doctors prescribing exercise can offer a solution: the OECD says that individual prevention programmes could avert up to 40,000
n March, all 100 members of the US Senate signed Resolution 97, affi rming the importance of
deaths from chronic disease in the UK each year. Deaths averted could increase to 70,000 if interventions were combined in a comprehensive prevention strategy. An organised programme of counselling for obese people by family GPs would also lead to an annual gain of over 100,000 years of life in good health. In 2007, a report
commissioned by Transport for London reviewed 17 studies looking at the relationship between physical activity and employee absenteeism/ employee productivity. It found that: workplace health promotion schemes can lead to increases in physical activity and reductions in absenteeism; workplace exercise intervention programmes can lead to long-term increases in levels of physical activity and reductions in absenteeism; counselling sessions to promote physical activity/dietary change can lead to self-reported increases in physical activity and observed increases in fi tness; and physical activity levels affect both short-term (up to a year) and long- term (over a year) healthcare costs.
Workplace health interventions benefi t businesses IHRSA is now working with the
OECD’s Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) in a bid to ensure that government-supported initiatives to increase physical activity include a combination of strong support from organisational leaders, ad campaigns to promote the benefi ts of exercise, fl exible opportunities and fi nancial incentives for regular exercise, and elimination of fi nancial barriers (eg the issue of VAT). To stimulate greater levels of physical
activity, a multi-faceted approach is required: it must be encouraged by every sector of the population, including government, workplace, insurance, medical and domestic.
ask the experts...... recovery from natural disasters
With natural disasters occurring around the world, what steps should a health club that’s been affected take to begin the recovery process? Richard Beddie, CEO of Fitness New Zealand, offers his advice on this timely topic: “Responding to a national disaster
is all about prioritisation. The extent of the damage to the club and the region’s infrastructure will determine these priorities. You may have to go through a simple clean-up or find new premises. “One thing that should be at the top
of the list in all circumstances is staff. Make sure they feel safe and that their home life is as secure as possible. Not only will every staff member’s situation be different (some may be relatively unaffected, others may have lost their
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Businesses need a clear strategy to deal with disasters like earthquakes
homes or loved ones), but how they react to this will vary considerably. The workplace may be one of the few places where there’s any sense of normality for them for some months. However, until people feel safe in their home life, their
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
ability to constructively add value to any recovery process of a club is hindered. “Another important consideration
is preparing for an insurance claim. Before starting any remedial work, photos should be taken and evidence recorded. For business more significantly affected, a loss of business or business interruption claim may also need to be prepared. “Of course this assumes the club has
the correct type and level of insurance It’s a timely reminder to ensure that the club is insured for not only the likely but also the unlikely; for not only its physical assets but also for business interruption and depopulation.” Read more answers to this question at
ihrsa.org/industryleader
july 2011 © cybertrek 2011
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