FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2007
DHEC announces statewide worksite health promotion assessment
COLUMBIA – The S.C. Coalition for Obesity Prevention Efforts is coordinating a survey of current worksite health promotion practices, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control announced today.
“SCCOPE encourages all employers in the state to complete the Web-based survey before April 10,” said Erika Kirby, director of DHEC’s Division of Obesity Prevention and Control. “Companies that do not currently have a worksite health promotion program are still encouraged to respond because information provided will help guide future projects.”
The survey is posted on the SCCOPE Web site at: http://www.sccope.org.
“The information provided by employers statewide will be used in the development of training programs, which will offer resources and technical assistance to help worksites and organizations improve the health and productivity of the state’s workforce,” Kirby said. “Studies have shown that these types of health improvement and risk reduction efforts lead to lower insurance costs for employers.”
Kirby said the first 150 worksites to respond will receive the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Successful Business Strategies to Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke” toolkit. Companies that take part in the survey will also receive a report that describes the current status of worksite wellness in the state.
The goal of DHEC’s Division of Obesity Prevention and Control is to reduce the incidence of obesity by developing, coordinating, and implementing science-based nutrition and physical activity approaches in partnership with public and private leaders in obesity and chronic disease prevention. For more information, visit http://www.scdhec.gov/obesity.
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For more information:
Adam Myrick – (803) 898-3884
E-mail – myrickar@dhec.sc.gov