Healthy Weight at Work

Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is an important aspect for a healthy lifestyle.  Healthful food choices and at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily will help you reach your goals.  Join your co-workers who have taken advantage of wellness supports at work to help achieve and maintain a healthy weight.  Below are testimonials from state employees and ideas on how you can create a supportive worksite wellness environment.

1. Enjoy More Nutritious Foods

• Encourage your cafeteria or favorite lunch spot to display nutrition information on their lunchtime options that include calories, fat, sodium, sugar, etc.   Find out how many calories you should be consuming at My pyramid tracker.  Learn how to read and understand a nutrition label to help your cafeteria provide important nutrition information at  How to understand and use the nutrition facts label.

   

• Encourage your worksite to offer healthy choices in your vending machine such as dried fruit, whole wheat crackers, low fat granola/cereal bars or pretzels. If there is not a healthy choice, call the number listed on the machine to make your personal request.

Testimonial - “I’m really glad my workplace requested healthier options in our vending machine. Now I can make a healthy choice if I need a pick-me-up.”  Rebecca Sweatman, PEBB Employee

• Encourage your worksite to develop a partnership with a local farm to start a drop off site for a community supported agriculture (CSA) program and to offer local produce in your cafeteria and through catering for meetings and events. For more information, read about Oregon CSA’s.  Testimonial - “Joining the Community Supported Agriculture program at the Portland State Office Building (PSOB) was one of the best health decision our family made last year.  We enjoyed many more and different kinds of produce than we were used to eating, including many vegetables we'd never tried before.  This was a big boost to our diet and we even shed a few pounds from our healthier eating!  The veggies were so fresh that they lasted at least 2 to 3 times longer than store bought produce.  Plus, the PSOB delivery made it convenient to pick up our share.  I would recommend it to anyone!  - Dena Wilson, DHS Employee
• Candy and other unhealthy snacks are tempting during a stressful workday. Help your fellow coworkers by removing the candy from your desk and replace it with a hand massager, fresh fruit, or flowers.

2. Engage in Daily Physical Activity

• If you drive to work, consider keeping a bike at work for physical activity breaks during the day.  Bike to work during inclement weather conditions by using the covered bike structures provided by your worksite:

   

  • CoosBay – SWCC Recreation Center (Picnic Table Shelters)

     

  • Eugene – Various U. of O. Locations

     

  • Portland – Portland State Office Building (Parking Garage)

     

  • Salem - Capitol Mall Parking Structure, Human Service Building, North Mall Office Building, Revenue Building, and Agriculture Building

Testimonial - “While I do not ride my bike to work because of the distance (100 miles round trip), I ride it while I am at work.  I ride during my lunch hour when weather and work schedule permit.  I believe that our manager’s attitude about wellness and our excellent shower facility encourage this type of activity. It has been extremely beneficial for me.”   – Forestry Employee.  – Doug Robin (Forestry)

• You can play a part in making healthy choices available for all employees at your worksite.  Start a healthy habit such as coordinate a worksite walking group; write a wellness related guideline and present toyour coordinator or wellness committee;and support wellness initiatives.

   

• Start a new trend in your office by having a “walking meeting;” take advantage of your stairwells and walk during your breaks with a co-worker; and use the fitness center discount offered by your health plan.

3. Practice a Healthy Lifestyle

• Join a weight management program in your area. Weight Management Programs in Your Area

   

• Take advantage of Health Club Membership Discounts from your health insurance provider.  

Resources

Two good websites to checkout for a healthy diet are the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute,and the American Cancer Society’s Food and Fitness Website.