Online Services | Privacy | Accessibility | Security

Healthy Arkansas logo, featuring a family running across the state of Arkansas
Materials
Worksite Wellness

Fast Facts
Arkansas is one of the most unhealthy states in the country.

Like many other states, too many of our citizens are overweight, don’t exercise and use tobacco. The 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey indicated that:

  • 37% of adult Arkansans were overweight
  • 24% were obese
  • 80% did not eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day
  • 27% engage in no leisure time physical activity
  • 26% of Arkansas adults are current smokers
  • 8% had been told they have diabetes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in Arkansas in 1999 the rates of deaths attributable to smoking were 15% higher than comparable rates in the nation overall. This was true for:

  • Lung cancer mortality (25% higher)
  • Coronary heart disease mortality (18% higher)
  • Chronic lung disease (20% higher)
  • Stroke mortality (31% higher)

Healthcare and workman’s compensation costs associated with these are unprecedented in the burden they add to an organization’s bottom line. With employees spending almost 45% of waking hours in the workplace, health promotion activities at worksites contribute to a healthy workforce and save the organization thousands of dollars.

  • According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year over $33 billion in medical costs and $9 billion in lost productivity due to heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes are attributed to diet.
  • If 10% of adults began a regular walking program, $5.6 billion in heart disease costs could be saved.
  • The lifetime medical cost of five diseases and conditions (hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and high cholesterol) among moderately obese people are $10,000 higher than among people at a healthy weight.
  • According to the actuary firm used by the ArkansasEmployee Benefits Division (EBD), Milliman, USA, insuring smokers costs an additional $116 a month and for obese members is an additional $55 a month.

Benefits for Employers

  • Employers with physical activity programs have
    • Reduced healthcare costs by 20 to 55%
    • Reduced short-term sick leave by 6 to 32%
    • Increased productivity by 2 to 52%
  • The Central Arkansas Veterans Health System Health and Wellness Program saved an estimated $817,000 the first year of the program - a savings of $8 for each $1 invested.
  • According to the American Cancer Society, medical costs decline by $47 in the first year a smoker quits, and by $853 more in the next seven years.
  • A 2001 Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine study found that companies pay $2,189 in workers compensation costs for smokers, compared with only $176 for nonsmokers.


A Model Program

JB Hunt Transport Services, Inc. is an Arkansas based company that has increased productivity and rolled back health insurance costs by developing innovative programs to get employees to manage their weight, exercise and not smoke. The company has made health counselors available to JB Hunt truck drivers via telephone. The drivers can call in from anywhere in the U.S. and discuss their particular health needs. This effort has improved quality of life, reduced sick days and helped retain employees in a high turnover industry. JB Hunt has also identified key health issues such as cardiovascular, cancer, lack of self care, and back conditions that can be addressed through behavior. By focusing on areas where behavior can change healthcare costs, the company is tracking the fiscal effectiveness of helping employees live a healthier life!