Section 5: Health Education

Step 1: Distribution of healthy living print material

Distributing materials that provide general mental health information and education throughout your worksite is one effective and relatively easy thing to do to raise the awareness of emotional wellness among your employees. This can be accomplished by creating resource areas in lunchrooms or other common areas. Materials could include:

• Self-assessment tools on lifestyle issues, healthy living fact sheets, and brochures.
• Healthy living posters in the workplace.
• Motivational messages on white and bulletin boards.

Step 2: Provide health education information through newsletters, publications, websites, email, libraries, and other company communications.

One of the initial steps businesses can take to provide health education to their employees is to incorporate nutrition materials and information into their web sites, newsletters, and email reminders.

• Provide information in newsletters. Subscribe to pre-written health and wellness newsletters or create your own.
• Start a health education library of books, magazines, newsletters and/or videos.
• Include bookmarks or brochures in paycheck envelopes.
• Send weekly or monthly tips through email.
• Offer internet access stations for employees who do not have individual access.
• Create a Health & Wellness Bulletin Board and/or website for employees to access health information.   

Website: American Dietetic Association Eat Right 
PDF 9 Most Effective Worksite Nutrition Strategies  

Step 3: Offer regular health education presentations on various nutrition- related topics.

Providing health and wellness information to employees at the workplace demonstrates an organization‘s concern for the well-being of its employees. The information they gain from health education seminars may empower employees to take better care of their health, start a habit, or become a better consumer. This, in turn, may assist the organization to positively impact such things as healthcare costs, absenteeism, and productivity.  According to the CDC, “Research has shown that good nutrition can help lower the risk of many chronic diseases including heart disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes, and osteoporosis. A workplace nutrition program encourages healthy eating among all employees, emphasizing fruits and vegetables and whole grain products; low fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish, and legumes; and small amounts of  

Website: Weight Watchers
Website: It’s Your Life Health Management Program  

Step 4: Ongoing access to health education specialists to assist with lifestyle changes to good nutrition
 
 Website: It’s Your Life Health Management Program