Health of U.S. workforce declining

Greetings, Why does this not surprise me?  We are working more and not  taking  care of ourselves, and is it a wonder that we are less healthy?  When money gets tight we quit going to health clubs and stop taking  vitamins and supplements.   Think about what we  "do and don't" spend our money,  always try to put your health first! All the best, Lou & Debbie Health of U.S. workforce declining 04/19/2011

The overall health of U.S. workers with employer-sponsored  health coverage declined by 2% between 2005 and 2009, and each worker costs employers about $670 in health care costs annually,according to Thomson Reuters  U.S. Workforce Wellness Index.  The index examined employee wellness by looking at six risk  factors: body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, blood glucose  level, cholesterol, and tobacco and alcohol use.  The study found that about 14% of incremental direct health  care costs were linked to these six factors.  High BMI cost   employers about $400 per worker, while high blood glucose  levels accounted for $150 per worker. The findings indicated  that cholesterol, alcohol use and blood pressure did not  affect health care costs, but tobacco use cost about $100.  The costs were associated only with medical and prescription  drug costs, and not missed work or disabilities