Businesses could save money by improving their employees' health, said Government health promotion coordinator Dr. Leonard Gibbons yesterday.

Dr. Gibbons, told Hamilton Rotarians that a recent workplace survey by the University of Michigan, called the Steelcase survey, had shown that insurance companies charge more depending on the health of the employer's workers.

"Some of the benefits improved by good employee health include reduced cost for workers compensation and insurance, fewer on the job accidents, improved corporate image and greater productivity," said Dr. Gibbons.

"But one of things I think business are more concerned about is how does it affect the bottom line," he added.

The Steelcase Study by University of Michigan said each risk factor, such as depression or overweight, can increase the annual medical expenditures of the company.

Depression can increase costs 70.2 percent higher, or smokers can raise costs by 14.5 percent, he said.

A comparison graph from the Steelcase study shows an employee with six or more risk factors can raise medical expenditures by $3,570 and high-risk psychosocial problems can increase costs by $3,368.

He said these costs can be avoided if one is willing to follow the "three levels of health promotion programmes" - awareness, lifestyle change programmes and support environment.

Dr. Gibbons said: "An awareness programme increases an employee's level of awareness, of interest in the programme topic.

"But in very few cases does the employee's actual health behaviour change or improve as a result of these programmes."

He said awareness programmes include newsletters, posters, flyers, health fairs and educational classes.

"The second level, lifestyle change programmes, go a step beyond awareness programmes by setting lifestyle-related behaviour change as a desired outcome.

"Changes might include quitting smoking, exercising on a regular basis, successfully managing stress, eating more nutritious foods or combining exercise and losing weight," he said.

In addition, Dr. Gibbons said that level three of health promotion programmes, supportive environment, will help the employee to maintain whatever accomplishments they made in their lifestyles.

"As with people who quit smoking - many go back and a lot of people who lose weight put it back on," he said.

"We need to go beyond the wellness awareness," he added.