LifeCare^®'s Healthy Aging Poll Reveals the Skinny about Diet and Exercise

WESTPORT, Conn., October 27, 2005 – When it comes to healthy aging, most Americans consider doing two things—eating better and exercising more. But we're not nearly as diet-obsessed as you might presume. In fact, according to a new poll from LifeCare^®, Inc., one of the nation's leading providers of life management services, if we only made one lifestyle change as we got older, the vast majority of us would exercise more. Conducted on LifeCare's private web site throughout the month of September, the poll was open to employees and members of LifeCare's 1,500 client organizations nationwide.

When asked, “If you were to change one thing about your lifestyle as you age, what would it be?” here's how the 366 respondents answered:

		Exercise more — 52%
		Eat healthier — 18%
		Reduce my stress level — 16%
		Stop smoking — 10%
		Eliminate caffeine — 1%
		Other— 3%

LifeCare CEO and co-founder, Peter G. Burki, believes there's a valuable message in these results for employers, government agencies and health care providers. “If you'd like to strengthen your relationship with your aging workforce, member base or other key audiences, find innovative ways to help them exercise. Sure, they'll appreciate your help with diet, stress reduction, smoking cessation and other health-related issues. But their main focus, by far, is exercise. Help them in this specific area and you'll see real dividends in terms of increased satisfaction, loyalty, productivity and retention levels.”

Not many organizations can afford on-site fitness centers, so Burki recommends considering the following alternatives: resource and referral resources for fitness clubs and classes, health club membership reimbursements, arranging for a group rate on local classes (aerobics, Pilates, yoga, etc.), starting walking or biking groups, and sponsoring company sports teams. Employers who encourage exercise often hear workers cite lack of time as the main barrier. If this is the case, Burki suggests offering flexible work hours to enable employees to participate in physical activities during the day. Other incentives—such as a cash bonus for physical activity or increases in healthcare costs for those who do not show evidence of physical activity—can provide a useful “carrot and stick” approach, depending on your culture.

“There's a big difference between wanting to make better lifestyle choices and actually doing it,” Burki says. “To help people really take action, we need to eliminate as many obstacles and create as many opportunities as possible.” As Burki points out, the benefits of doing so accrue to everyone and include lower medical costs, an enhanced corporate image, decreases in absenteeism and turnover, fewer employee/member injuries, and higher satisfaction and retention levels.

E-Fitness … the New Frontier

Burki also notes that organizations can work with high-quality work/life providers such as LifeCare to open up a whole new area of opportunity—online health and fitness resources. For example, LifeCare offers a comprehensive online Health Risk Assessment (HRA), which is complemented by a variety of interactive “Healthy Living Programs”—including a six-week Get In Shape program that helps individuals jump-start an exercise plan and a Healthy Aging program that helps people reduce their risk of disease and feel younger. All of these resources are conveniently accessible via the company's web site.

All of the Healthy Living Programs—whether related to fitness, weight loss, disease management, smoking cessation or other health topics—contain an exercise component. Individuals can sign up for a walking program, for instance, that gives them access to an online walking tracker tool (to help monitor their progress throughout the six-week course). They are also given a variety of helpful articles and educational resources that explain the benefits of exercise, how to make steady improvements, how to avoid injury and the like. They even receive encouraging reminder e-mails during the program to help them stay focused and motivated.

“During the past year, we've enhanced our health and wellness resources tremendously,” Burki states. “In addition to adding the HRA and Healthy Living Programs, we've expanded our online health content to address topics such as women and coronary artery disease, general disease prevention, medical conditions and treatments, emotional health, and a host of other timely issues.”

LifeCare also recently launched telephonic Health Coaching to assist its members with weight management, tobacco cessation, and stress management—three of the most widespread health challenges among its corporate clients. “Basically, we've designed an entire suite of results-oriented health and wellness resources,” says Burki, “that are perfect for employers, health plans, government agencies, and others interested in helping their workers and member bases achieve lasting lifestyle changes as they age.”

Notes to Editors

Peter G. Burki is available for interview.

About LifeCare^®, Inc.
With 22 years of experience in delivering highly personalized counseling, education and referral services, LifeCare helps people manage the day-to-day challenges of their lives and plan for their futures more effectively. From child care and parenting needs … to elder care and aging challenges … to personal health concerns … and far beyond … we provide high-quality tools and information 24/7 through our professionally staffed call center and award-winning web site. LifeCare currently serves 1,500 client companies with 4.5 million individuals within health plans, governmental agencies, unions and corporations. For more information, visit www.lifecare.com.

Media contact: Michael Civiello
LifeCare, Inc.
pr1@lifecare.com
203-291-4170