. Group Benefits Plans - General EBN Archives: Show me articles about Select a Category Wellness Report Administrative Update Group Benefits Bulletins Front Runner The Script e Benefit News RAMQ Technology group benefit plans - general plan administration drug care dental care life insurance health care disability management health and wellness programs Manulife Financial news Industry standards and guidelines general legislative changes fee schedules taxation rules Healthy aging   Help your plan members stay ready, willing, and able The population is aging and as mandatory retirement comes to an end in Canada, many of us will remain in the workplace longer. The demand for workers will create great career opportunities for plan members, but certain health trends suggest some North American workers will need help if they're going to be ready, willing, and able to meet the challenge of working into their later years. If you were around in 1973, you might be familiar with a memorable 15 second public service announcement that aired only a handful of times during football games, quickly working its way into the country's collective consciousness. The message, created by ParticipACTION, compared the health and fitness of an average 30 year old Canadian to that of the average 60 year old Swedish man. The comparison was intended to startle and inspire viewers to get up off their backsides, wave goodbye to their couches, and opt for a more active lifestyle. It's 35 years later, and even though the Canadian junior hockey team won gold by triumphing over its Swedish counterparts in January, we still have a long road to jog before we become a fit and active nation. Studies in both Canada and the United States warn that the health of today's North Americans is in some ways worse, not better, than the generation that preceded them. Don't just think about it. Do it! You can view the original "60 year old Swede" public service announcement, and other ParticipACTION messages, archived on the University of Saskatchewan's website at http://www.usask.ca/archives/participaction/english/motivate/theearlyyears.html You can find the current campaign and learn about the inactivity crisis at http://www.participaction.com In the United States, a report published in 2007 by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) surveyed three groups of Americans: 54 to 59 year olds, 60 to 65 year olds, and 66 to 71 year olds. The participants were asked to reflect back and answer questions about their health and well-being when they were between the ages of 51 and 56. The youngest group studied, those between the ages of 54 and 59, reported more pain and more trouble performing everyday physical tasks such as walking, going up stairs, kneeling and other normal movements than the older groups did. The youngest group was also found to have more chronic illness and problems such as psychiatric issues and alcohol abuse than the older groups reported experiencing. The two younger groups were also less likely to describe their health as being "very good" or "excellent." This is a reversal of the previous trend (and expectations) in the United States where disability among people over 65 years of age was found to be decreasing from one generation to the next. In 2006, the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation reported that baby boomers (the generation of people born in the two decades following World War II) were falling behind the health and wellness of Canadian senior citizens. The report pointed to obesity and inactivity as the main culprits increasing Canadians' risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and other illnesses. Like father like son The generations following the boomers might not be doing any better. The 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey: Nutrition (CCHS) weighed and measured Canadians and found that 23 per cent of adults (18 years and older) were obese and another 36 per cent were overweight, meaning that close to 6 out of every 10 Canadian adults faces an increased risk for developing health problems springing from being overweight. This was considerably higher than the findings in 1978/79 when 14 per cent of adults in Canada where obese. And the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute says that more than half of us are considered inactive, meaning that Canadians are not getting the amount of physical activity needed to help us live better, longer. It's certainly true that many people's weight and body composition were pre-determined long ago by the genes they inherited, and many obese people are extremely aware and knowledgeable about health and nutrition as they've waged a life long struggle to understand and control their weight. While the modern era of cars, computers, factory and farm automation has made us more productive, it's also allowed us the option to be less physically active than previous generations, which only compounds the problem, especially for people pre-disposed to being heavy. But generally speaking, for many people, regardless of age, even small lifestyle changes such as eating an improved diet and increasing their amount of physical activity each day can make a big difference in the long-term. Obesity and weight management are very complex issues, but the CCHS study does confirm the relationship between obesity and diet and exercise. Men and women who eat fruits and vegetables five times a day or more are less likely to be obese compared to those who eat fruits and vegetables three times or less each day. The same is true for men and women who are active in their leisure time compared to those who aren't. And while there are other considerations that play a role, the study found the benefit of diet and exercise is consistent even when other factors (such as age, income, and education) are taken into account. A fountain of youth revealed British research published in January in the Public Library of Science's open-access journal PLoS Medicine (http://medicine.plosjournals.org ) found that people who combine four specific healthy behaviors live the equivalent of 14 years longer than those who don't. The study, conducted at the University of Cambridge, took place over 11 years and involved more than 20,000 men and women between the ages of 45 and 79. Researchers found that participants who drank moderately, exercised, were non-smokers, and ate five servings of fruits and vegetables a day were four times less likely to have died during the course of the study. And the risk of dying, especially from cardiovascular disease, decreased as the number of healthy behaviours increased. Aging healthfully The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada says 80 per cent of the baby boomers it studied expect to live longer than previous generations, while at the same time more than half (58%) don't see the connection between their health and their weight. For plan sponsors and group insurance providers, this points to the value of on-going, creative plan member education on the subject of 'healthy aging' at every stage in life. Benefits programs will need to respond with services that help people make the best lifestyle choices and provoke plan member action and involvement in the same way that the ParticipACTION message aimed to do in 1973. And thought will need to be given to further supporting and accommodating the older worker whose value to the organization will only increase in the years to come. As more workers decide to work past age 65, and more employers seek to retain them, there's a need and opportunity to offer programs and incentives designed with the older worker in mind. Governments have an equal stake in the game, since a population that doesn't age in a healthy way has a multitude of economic implications for the public health care system. Try as we might, no one can stop or reverse the aging process, but plan sponsors have a chance to guide plan members in a direction that fosters wellness and disease prevention in order to keep employees and workplaces as fit, active, and as viable as our favorite 60 year old Swede. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada promotes healthy living and has advocated for public policies that prevent obesity through good nutrition and increased physical activity in schools, workplaces, and communities. Visit www.heartandstroke.com to learn more. Sources: CCHS, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada; NBER; ParticipACTION; Physical Activity Monitor. Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, 2004: Khaw K, Wareham N, Bingham S, Welch A, Luben R, Day, N (2007) Combined impact of health behaviours and mortality in men and women: the EPIC-Norfolk Prospective Population Study, PLoS Medicine (http://medicine.plosjournals.org); Statistics Canada; University of Saskatchewan.