While data suggests childhood obesity may be levelling off, the picture for adults is far less optimistic, dramatically increasing incidence of diabetes, stroke & heart disease.

Not only will people be fatter but the incidence of diabetes, stroke and heart disease will dramatically increase, according to the National Heart Forum report.

There are already more men who are obese than who are of a healthy weight and by the end of the decade obese men and women could out-number those who are overweight.

The serious health problems associated with obesity mean that these continuing rising trends will impose a substantially increased burden on the NHS.

The report comes as the Government launches a new campaign to urge adults to lose weight and get healthy.

The campaign mirrors the ethos that we have always proposed at Health Yourself in that we believe in a basic, common sense approach towards health and eating habits and those small, simple and do-able adjustments is the way to successful and lasting change.

The ‘Swap it Don’t Stop it’ part of the Change4life campaign says people do not have to give up all the things they love. It suggested ‘swaps’ such as swapping watching a favourite sport on television for taking part, increasing fibre intake by choosing brown rice over white, or swapping bigger plates for smaller ones to choose smaller portions of food.

Read more: http://bit.ly/ccHGiF

But should it be the government’s responsibility to launch yet another campaign?

We have a wealth of information, help and advice available these days. From celebrity chefs, healthy schools projects, healthy living centres, supermarket & PCT led local cook & eat projects, and every media channel available (76 per cent of the UK adult population accessed the Internet in the three months prior to being interviewed in 2009. Sources: National Statistics Omnibus Survey) do we need another public health campaign?

A lot of people think that private healthcare is only for the rich, others feel that as they’ve effectively already paid through National Insurance Contributions that they shouldn’t have to pay anymore. Still others believe that private healthcare doesn’t belong in a socialist economy.

Whilst the concept of our National Health Service (NHS) is a wonderful one, it’s limited in its ability to provide all things to all people.

This is where the Government endorsed Salary Sacrifice scheme comes into its own.

What is Salary Sacrifice?

Salary Sacrifice is where an employee gives up part of their salary to pay for goods or services, in turn creating tax savings, by paying for the services before tax and national insurance contributions (NIC) resulting in either 20%, 40% (and soon 50%) plus NICs effectively deducted from the cost of the service.

What does this mean for staff?

Depending on the employee’s tax rate, the savings available to staff are:

31% Basic tax rate payer earning up to £37,500 (Tax rate 20%)
41% Higher tax rate payer earning above £37,500 (Tax rate 40%)
51% Additional tax rate payer earning above £150,000 (Tax rate 50% from April 2010)

To find out more about salary sacrifice visit

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/specialist/sal-sac-question-and-answers.htm

Benefits for employers

Employee wellness programmes are often seen as a business expense that is either overlooked or reduced in quality due to their financial impact.

By offering staff such discounted products, your staff will increase their health, productivity and engagement, thus reducing absenteeism, improving retention and your overall image as a valued employer. There are also major tax benefits to the company.

It’s very simple to create a reward strategy that will assist you in motivating employees and uniting your organisations ambitions that is cost neutral to implement and saves both employees and employers money from day 1 using the salary sacrifice mechanism.

A wellness scheme using either wage enhancement or employer funded benefits are possible, or any combination in between through employer subsidies.

Products fall under five main categories:
-employee fitness
-bike to work scheme
-childcare vouchers
-healthy food
-health screening

What’s more, through our company Health Yourself, the cost of wellness services through Salary Enhancement is zero.

Bonus enhancement

Packages can also be developed in lieu of bonus payments issued at any time by the employer. In a climate where bonus schemes are being reduced, this method is an extremely popular way of making health related goods and services more accessible to staff, and can literally double the value of a bonus payment.

5 simple steps to set up a Salary Enhancement Scheme?

The whole process is straightforward and can be running within 1 hour.

1. File the Scheme Handbook provided by us with the Payroll dept.
2. Shout about it, we work with you to ensure your staff understand and value the scheme.
3. Distribute and collect membership forms to/from employees.
4. Inform us of new members.
5. Make a one-off adjustment to member’s payroll.

To find out how we can help you to introduce a Salary Sacrifice in your organisation call
Barbara on 07747 163646

A good friend of mine said this in a conversation many years ago and it’s one I believe to be one of the most all-encompassing statements ever made.

When we’re young, active and on the go we generally have a reasonable level of fitness, we’re hugely ambitious, perhaps financially secure, confident within our own social networks and of course totally invincible – in our own head at least – to any negatives likely to come our way in the future.

Fast-forward 20, 30 or even 40 years on and we become all too aware of our health, well-being and quality of life.

Whilst we have witnessed enormous advances in medicine, for example the ability for early detection of risk and early onset of disease and disease management we still experience massive incidence of critical illness and sudden fatalities from preventative illnesses.

Anyone who has a close friend, relative or colleague who has been the unfortunate victim of a stroke, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis or kidney disease knows only too well how debilitating and perhaps life changing these illnesses can be.

It is estimated that every 5 minutes someone in the UK has a stroke and up to half a million people are living with undetected diabetes.

Unfortunately testing for these diseases is not routine or consistently available on demand through the NHS so often go undetected until it’s too late.

Private provision of these services helps to bridge this gap and mobile services in particular, which can be transported to the workplace or in community settings, play a major part in disease prevention.

Safe, simple, convenient and affordable health screening like those available through Health Yourself Screens provide early detection of potentially fatal illnesses provides opportunities for appropriate modifications in lifestyle, follow up care and treatment.

Good health cannot be taken for granted – Are you a millionaire?

Not a nice thought to dwell upon I know, but a question worth asking yourself.

Cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer of men and women in the UK and a leading cause of permanent disability, whilst stroke is the biggest cause of disability and the third most common cause of death.

Fortunately, many diseases are preventable if the risks are detected early enough. Yet because many diseases show few or no symptoms at all, they go unnoticed, often until it’s too late.

These days we’re encouraged to plan an exit strategy – is death part of yours?

As well as the distress this causes your loved ones, the devastation that serious disease or sudden death brings impacts on everything around you including your business.

The good news is that the risk of experiencing such a catastrophe can often be pre-empted and avoided. What’s more its not difficult to do. For a small outlay, a tiny hour out of your day and a miniscule amount of effort to pick up the phone and book an appointment, you can avoid a lot of heartache.

Health Yourself make it as easy and convenient as possible to get checked out by offering screening days in the workplace, sports club, community group or at one of our local clinics.

Can’t spare the time? Your a long time dead!

Doctors are reporting increasing levels of stress related illness as economic uncertainty rises.

BBC diary doctor Dr Nicola Jones based at the Brocklebank Health Centre in Wandsworth, London is concerned for her patients’ health at work, as they feel the need to work longer hours in the hope of safeguarding their jobs. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7939805.stm

From back pain, to anxiety, depression to addiction, her patients’ health is suffering in part because of the office.

Personal circumstances are always a key element in stress levels which manifests itself in a wide range of symptoms and often exacerbates underlying health issues.

Add to this the threat of job losses, debt and reduced leisure spending then it’s not that surprising that stress is a major player amongst people.

Furthermore companies, especially those who are cutting back on jobs, working hours and salaries could do more to increase staff morale at little or no cost to the company.

healthYourself’s in-house health screening packages can be easily adapted to suit the client’s budget.  A small outlay in employee benefits demonstrates how much the business cares and values their employees by offering alternative compensation to the workforce – far less costly than a salary increase which may still be some way ahead.

Whilst we’re unable to guarantee an immediate healthier outlook of the economy, we can at least look to contribute to employee health and wellbeing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theoneshow/consumer/2009/01/27/food-allergies-is-it-all-in-yo.html

Clare Balding investigated food allergies and intolerances and asked if we’ve become too fussy about the food we eat.

Nutritionist Azmina Govindji warned against the dangers of self-diagnosis. She recommends a visit to the doctor if you are worried about an allergy or intolerance.

Celebrity culture was also mentioned. Has the rise in allergies come in part from celebrity culture and the way that we model ourselves on those in the public eye?

Amongst the many responses one contributor commented:

“Where are all these doctors willing to test you for food intolerance and allergies? My doctor just says the tests are unreliable and fob’s you off. So your only choice is to self diagnose and try to find things that make you feel better.”

Sadly this is the all too common statement I receive from my clients seeking answers to their symptoms and looking to improve health and quality of life.

“Food Intolerances should be taken seriously, ESPECIALLY by nutritionists and doctors, shame on those who ‘dumb it down’.”  Why is it so difficult to take food intolerance seriously?

Frustration from sufferers is also evident regarding the consistently negative reporting of the subject: “As usual the BBC is totally irresponsible in covering a topic involving the health of the nation. Why they choose columnists and dieticians to discuss food allergy is beyond me. As for the advice that allergy needs to be confirmed by a doctor…. These are the same doctors that have had approximately NO training in nutrition and health issues surrounding diet and lifestyle. Dieticians are not much better. Food allergy and food intolerance are 2 very different things…..very real and not at all a FAD”.

There are many similar comments obviously posted by those unfortunate enough to suffer from common, everyday complaints which, though not life threatening, make life miserable none the less. The fact is that food intolerance tests are not available through the NHS even privately. This is why perhaps thousands of people each year resort to a therapist practitioner to find relief, and where word of mouth referral is powerful in providing these practices with clients. The medical profession’s main reluctance in acknowledging food intolerance is the lack of scientific validity. Therapy is not an exact science, this can also can be said of homeopathy, acupuncture, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and in fact many other areas of medicine. It doesn’t invalidate or discredit it; it just makes it less than perfect.

For those patients who are referred by GP’s for further investigations into symptoms it is only right and proper to eliminate serious disease and I heartily agree that this is the correct procedure to be followed. However there are many who are told they have to either ‘live with it’ or ‘try an elimination diet’ in the belief that nothing more can be done.

The gold standard in treating food intolerance or sensitivity is an elimination diet, with or without a test. Great, we all agree so far, but it could take a lifetime to find the right one! And this is the crux, how do you know what to eliminate? The purpose of a private test is simply to take the slog out of the almost impossible task of identifying the culprit(s). The procedure is safe, simple and non-invasive and a good practitioner will ensure clients maintain a balanced healthy diet.

In the meantime patients continue to suffer because media channels prefer to ridicule both those helping and being helped. Surely a better scoop would be to follow a real live case study?

Most people would agree that their own personal health and wellbeing must rank at the top of their list of priorities.

The problem is, however, that we are constantly bombarded with yet another health warning, the findings of a new study, contradictory advice in general or a persistant ‘nanny state’ telling us that they know what’s best for us.

Often some of it, at times most of it and occassionally none of it is absolutely valid, but not always helpful to the lay person who just wants to give themselves a fighting chance and make the most of what life might throw up.

I’m not advocating excess and I take on board moderation has to be the key to good health, but I’m a girl who likes a  glass of vino and lo and behold it seems even this modest pleasure can put me at significant risk of another life threatening disease if its a large one!  What is not stated is that in reality I’m likely to develop a serious psychological malfunction without one.