Keep Cancer at Bay

June 9, 2010
Written by: Julie Bosche, Filed in: Employee Health Programs

Cancer costs everyone.

Whether you’re the patient undergoing treatment, the family and friends offering support, or the employer facing the incapacitation or decreased productivity of one of your company’s biggest assets, the disease and its associated damages rack up quickly across the board.

The financial cost of cancer has doubled over the past 20 years, and The World Health Organization predicts a rise in the number of worldwide cancer cases over the next 20.

As the number of people affected by cancer continues to grow, it’s more important than ever to focus on prevention and early detection.

While you can’t force your employees to make healthy lifestyle changes to safeguard their health, you can implement some changes in the workplace that might benefit them and the company at the same time.

So where to start? According to Partnership for Prevention, your cancer-prevention efforts should be geared toward controlling tobacco use, promoting cancer screening and early detection, and encouraging physical activity and healthy eating.

Implement a nonsmoking policy at the office or reinforce the policy if you already have one in place, provide information on cancer screenings, including the effectiveness of early detection on recovery, and ramp up your efforts to get your employees moving more and eating better.

Encourage your employees to ward off cancer and improve overall health with a few simple guidelines:

Quit smoking. Enlist the help of your health-care provider if quitting on your own proves too difficult.

Watch your weight. Figure out your target weight and aim to reach and maintain it via exercise and healthy diet.

Exercise. Strive for at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day, but any amount you can manage is better than none.

Eat smart. Keep your body in peak condition by maintaining a balanced diet.

Drink less. To cut cancer risk, consume no more than one alcoholic beverage per day.

Cover up. Avoid excessive sun exposure, and take precautions to protect your skin when you’re outdoors.