Holiday Weight Challenge

Weight Challenge.jpg

It’s a FREE online holiday challenge offered by Eat Smart, Move More Weigh Less. It’s great for those who cannot join the weight loss challenge that began in October due not being able to take the time off for the activities, workshops, weigh-ins and etc. It’s Free and you can self-enroll, and can participate at your own convenience! Go do www.esmmweighless.com

Benefits Beat -- Wellness

Can corporate well-being programs really help employees get healthy and reduce health care expenses?

We’ve all heard the adage, “No two snowflakes are alike.” This rings true even for well-being programs and is a critical factor to consider when deciding what type of program is right for your employees. Every person is on a different journey to better health and well-being, and this is why generalized, and oversimplified programs miss the mark, because they are not targeting those who could benefit the most.

Context is key, as one cookie cutter program does not reflect the concept of well-being as a whole.

For example, a 22-year-old female who spends her free time competing in CrossFit events will not have the same well-being needs as a 55-year-old male who is obese and has high blood pressure. It simply doesn’t make sense to think that the same well-being program would work for both.

While a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) indicated that generic wellness programs do not work, the specific program components must be considered. The most well-intentioned programs are often cookie cutter, offering canned solutions that are not personalized to each individual and their unique lifestyles. So, what does it take to find success with well-being programs?

How we even define a “well-being program”?

According to RAND, well-being programs are classified based on whether or not they offer each of three services:

  • Screening to identify health risks

  • Lifestyle management services to reduce risks through encouraging healthier behavior

  • Disease management services to support people who already have chronic conditions

 The Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Education Trust (HRET) follows a different definition. A 2015 Employer Health Benefit survey conducted by Kaiser and HRET found that well-being programs are most commonly associated with “tobacco cessation,” “weight loss,” and/or “other lifestyle or behavioral coaching.”

This variance in definitions makes it difficult and confusing to understand what an organization means when it says it offers a “well-being program.” Does it mean they just offer screenings, fitness programs, lifestyle management, disease management, condition management, or some combination thereof?

Too often, well-being programs are broadly generalized based on preconceived norms and targeted at the employee population in aggregate. This is counterintuitive because individual well-being cannot be generalized. It doesn’t boil down to just one standardized measure, such as how much one person weighs compared to another. We must remember that an individual’s well-being is all-encompassing and includes sleep, diet, exercise and stress—all of which feed into holistic well-being and are based on unique circumstances. What works for one person will not necessarily work for another—a true well-being program must cater to each individual’s lifestyle. Not the other way around.

Disease management v. lifestyle management

To understand where well-being programs are coming up short, we should also break down two of the most common types of programs: lifestyle management and disease management. Lifestyle management focuses on employees with health risks, such as smoking and obesity, and supports them in reducing those risks to prevent the development of chronic conditions. On the other hand, disease management is designed to help employees who already have a chronic disease. This could mean, for example, reminding them to take their prescribed medications or improving communications with their physician. While the two focus on different aspects of well-being, they are often still pigeon-holed under the same “well-being” umbrella.

A 2014 RAND well-being program study that assessed PepsiCo’s program highlights why these two formats should be treated differently. Called “Healthy Living,” the program offered separate chronic disease management and lifestyle management initiatives.

RAND found that the combined disease management and lifestyle management programs showed a return of $1.50 for every dollar invested in the program. However, the individual returns for the separate programs were quite different, with disease management showing an ROI of $3.80, while lifestyle management had an ROI of $0.50.

While 87 percent of participating employees were in the lifestyle management program and 13 percent were in disease management, 87 percent of the total health care cost savings came from the disease management program. Even with more employees participating in the lifestyle management program, disease management is where the majority of health care cost savings came from. Essentially, it’s not about the volume of a program or its participation rates—it’s about looking specifically for the right volume.

This is a great example of how personalization based on individual context and circumstance can lead to a successful well-being program with ROI. Once PepsiCo’s program accounted for targeted approaches for those considered high-risk, it really made a difference.

A 2018 Illinois Workplace Wellbeing study also proved that when generic well-being solutions are offered to everyone—and not focused on the right people—they will not generate reductions in health care costs or improvements in health behaviors. The study evaluated a workplace well-being program that was available to 3,300 University of Chicago and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign employees, and researchers did not see changes after one year.

“The lack of first-year cost savings should not be surprising since the study focuses on health screenings and well-being activities such as fitness, stress management [and] smoking cessation for all employees rather than targeted strategies for employees diagnosed with costly chronic conditions,” LuAnn Heinen, vice president at the nonprofit National Business Group on Health and director of the group’s Institute on Innovation in Workforce Well-Being, explained to SHRM.

Enter, condition management

In addition to lifestyle and disease management, condition management has emerged to introduce a third variation of well-being program. It emphasizes a specific group of people who sit between healthy and sick—and, who make up the majority of health care spend. That’s because many employees who are “in the middle” demonstrate a combination of risk factors that increase the likelihood of costly chronic conditions and can result in catastrophic health claims if they’re not intervened with prior.

Condition management blends the best qualities of lifestyle management and disease management. Like lifestyle management, it focuses on changing habits to reduce the health risks that can open the door to chronic conditions. This is the key to reversal or normalization. Simply having the goal of taking medication or following up with a doctor will not change the individual, it will only control the symptoms. Condition management is focused on a very specific cohort of high-risk individuals and tailored to their specific needs and circumstances, which, as shown in the PepsiCo study, is proven to drive ROI.

A good condition management program includes guidance on nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress management, but how those areas are prioritized should depend on the individual. One of the key implications of applying a lifestyle management program to a targeted group of people is that your implied goal is to change or modify behavior to achieve outcomes. The goal is not to get an individual to comply or adhere with medications or other external factors.

The inherent suggestion is that if a condition management program can change the behavior of a particular person, then certain risk factors can be reversed or normalized, which could also reduce health care costs.

Helping employees and the company bottom line

Overall, employers must focus on the specific goals of their well-being programs. Do you want to deliver an employee benefit that’s suitable for everyone in the company? Or, do you want to actually better the health of employees who need it most and generate ROI? This single question is key to determining the correct metric to assess a program. If you are trying to generate ROI, or affect claims cost, a one-size-fits-all program is not the answer.

The Pepsi study demonstrated that applying a focused solution to a group of people with specific needs is a critical element to any successful well-being program. When you combine risk stratification with lifestyle programming (sleep, stress, nutrition, exercise) you can do more than simply manage a condition—individuals can normalize or even reverse certain conditions.

This is what makes condition management, in particular, so valuable. When employers can deliver solutions that are enhanced by behavior modification, tailored closely to the individual, and offer real-life skills to incur long-lasting and positive change for employees, organizations can achieve value on their investment.

November 2019 Library Programs Announced

Youth Programs

  • For more information, contact Youth Services at 252/237-5355 and press option 4.

  • Preschool Storytime takes place Tuesdays, November 5, 12, 19, 26 and Wednesdays, November 6, 13, 20, 27 at 10:00 am. Ages 3 and up. No registration required.

  • Join us for Lapsit Storytime on Tuesdays, November 5, 12, 19, 26 and Wednesdays, November 6, 13, 20, 27 at 9:30 am. Ages 0-2. No registration required.

  • Saturday family Storytime is on November 2, 9, 16, 23 at 3:00 pm. No registration required. There will be no storytime on Saturday, November 30 as the library will close for the Thanksgiving holiday.

  • Enjoy a new program, Monday Family Storytime and Craft, on November 4, 18, 25 at 6:30 pm. No registration required. There will be nostorytime on Monday, November 11 as the library will close for Veteran’s Day.

  • Join us for a Bilingual Spanish/English Family Storytime at the Main Library on Tuesday, November 26 at 4:00 pm. The Library will continue this bilingual program the last Tuesday of each month. No registration is required.

Youth STEAM Programs

  • For more information, contact Youth Services at 252/237-5355, press option 4.

  • STEAM programs take place in Youth Services on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm. Ages 5 and up are invited and no registration required. November 5: Family Game Night; November 12: Snap Circuits; and November 19: Pinecone Turkeys. The recurring monthly LEGO Club takes please on November 26. All LEGOs are provided.

Young Adult Programs

  • For more information, contact Kat Brittain, at 252-237-5355 ext 5073 or kbrittain@wilson-co.com.

  • Teens, join us at Choose Your Own Adventure: Teen College and Career Workshop on Tuesday, November 12 from 5:00 pm until 6:30 pm in the Main Library Seminar Room. Learn which career pathways and education programs best fit your talents and interests while exploring the library’s online resources! This program is open to all teens with a focus on high school students. No registration required.

Adult Programs

  • Calling all book lovers! Join us for the Annual Friends of the Library Booksale duriing the Whirligig Gestival on Saturday, November 2 at 10:00 am until 5:00 pm and Sunday, November 3, 12:00 pm until 5:00 pm in the Main Library Assembly Room. We have outgrown the bookmobile, so the sale will take place at the library this year. Most books are 50 cents and $1. Watch for falling prices at the end of the sale!

  • Local Author Night takes place Monday, November 18, 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm in the Main Library Assembly Room. Join us for our monthly celebration of the work of local authors. Our guests this month will be Rev. H. Maurice Barnes, author of Some Pre-Marital Points to Ponder and Alan J. Inman, author of The Colors of Love. Copies of these works will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

  • Need to get a jumpstart on your holiday presents? Stop by the Main Library Assembly Room on Tuesday, November 19, 3:00 pm until 7:00 pm and make a few pairs of beaded earrings to give away or to keep for yourself. This is a drop-in class, so come at your convenience during the scheduled time. Ages 16 and up. Registration requested, call 252/237-5355 to register.

  • Join us for a lively Adult Special Needs Storytime and craft designed specifically for special needs adults on Tuesday, November 26 at 10:30 am in the Main Library Assembly Room. Registration required, call 252/237-5355 to register.

Technology Classes

  • Technology classes take place in the Main Library Conference Room, unless otherwise specified. Registration is required, as space is limited. To register call 252/237-5355. For more information, contact Karey Blanchard at 252/237-5355 ext 5074 or kblanchard@wilson-co.com.

  • Attend a two-part Facebook Series on Wednesdays, November 6 and 13 and learn how to create a profile, send messages, comment on posts, and add content to Facebook. Please register for both sessions.

  • Need help figuring out your tablet, smarkphone, or eReader? Drop in to Device Advice on Wednesday, November 20, 2:00 until 4:00 pm for 1:1 assistance from library staff. This event takes place in the Mai Library Assembly Room. Registration is requested.

Local History and Genealogy Programs

  • For more information, contact Tammy Medlin, Local History and Genealogy Librarian at 252/237-5355, ext 5029 or tmedlin@wilson-co.com.

  • Tammy Medlin will present Exploring the Census on Tuesday, November 19 from 2:00 pm until 3:30 pm in the Main Library Conference Room. Learn how to find information on your family history using the US Census within Ancestry and Heritage Quest. Registration is required; call 252/237-5355 to register.

  • All are invited to the Wilson County Genealogical Society meeting on Tuesday, November 26 at 7:00 pm in The Main Library Assembly Room. Jim and Margaret Bailey will discuss their recently completed book, The Country Doctor Museum: Early Medical Practices, Treatments and Medicines. Books will be available for purchase and signing following the presentation. All proceeds from the book sales go to the Country Doctor Museum. All are welcome! No registration required.

Branch Programs

Black Creek

  • The Black Creek Branch is located at 103 Central Avenue in Black Creek. For more information, call 252/237-3715. Ages 5-12 are invited to Storytime on Thursdays, November 7 and 21 at 4:00 pm. No registration required. Teens ages 13-18 are invited to make a yarn-wrapped letter craft on Thursday, November 14 at 4:00 pm. Registration is required. Need help figuring out your tables, smartphone or e Reader? Drop in for Device Advice to receive 1:1 assistance from library staff on Tuesday, November 19, 3:00 until 4:00 pm. registration is requested. Lapsit Storytime for ages 0-4 is on Wednesday, November 27 at 10:30 am. No registration required.

  • The East Branch is location at 6000-C Ward Boulevard in Wilson. For more information, call 252/237-2627. Storytime is on Wednesdays, November 13 and 27 at 4:00 pm. No registration is required.

  • The Elm City Branch is located at 114 North Railroad Street in Elm City. For more information call 252/237-4269. Preschool Storytime for ages 1-5 takes place on Tuesdays, November 5 and 19 at 10:00 am. NO egistration required. Ages 4 and up are invited to LEGO club on Thursday, November 7 at 3:00 pm. No registration required. Need help figuring our your tablet, smartphone or eReacher? Drop in for Device Advice to receive 1:1 assistance from library staff on Wednesday, November 20 from 10:30 am until 11:30 am. Registration is requested. Ages 5 and up are invited to a STEAM program on Thursday, November 21 at 4:00 pm. No registration required.

  • The Lucama Branch is located at 103 East Spring Street in Lucama. For more information call 252/239-0046. Family Storytime for families with elementary aged children, takes place on Tuesdays, November 5 and 19 at 4:00 pm. No registration required. Lapsit Storytime, for ages 0-5 is on Wednesdays, November 6 and 2010:30 am. No registration required. Join us for a Teen Program on Thursdays, November 7 and 21 at 4:00 pm. No registration required. Enjoy a Movie Afternoon on Friday, November 8 at 4:00 pm. Need help figuring out your tablet, smartphone, or eReader? Drop in for Device Advice to receive 1:1 assistance from library staff on Thursday, November 14 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm. Fancy Feather Friday takes place on November 22 at 45:00 pm. Don’t miss this fall family event featuring crafts, snacks, stories and games. All Ages are welcome.

  • The Stantonsburg Branch is located at 114 South Main Street in Stantonsburg. For more information call 252/238-3758. Join us for Book Chat on Thursday, November 7, 3:00 pm until 4:00 pm.

  • The Bookmobile visits the following locations each month. For more information, call 252/237-5355. Tuesdays, November 19: Saratoga 3:30 until 5:00 pm; Wednesday, November 20, Rock Ridge 3:00 until 4:00 pm; and Sims 4:15 until 5:00 pm.

For questions about the library, call 252/237-5355 or visit www.wilsoncountypubliclibrary.org.