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INDIANAPOLIS - A national campaign made a regional stop in Indianapolis Friday to foster a greater understanding about the link between healthy living and the work place.
The Health Means Business campaign is an effort from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation that sheds light on the link between community health and economic growth.
Director of the Health and Wellness program for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Jeff Lundy, says the bottom line for business leaders, wellness experts and elected officials attending the forums is that health related investment must be holistic. Educating people about choices, providing opportunities to access healthy living and promoting a healthy built environment.
"A lot of people’s health is in how you build their environment, how you make choices that are healthy easy, so really it’s a lot about investing in community and really thinking about how you ultimately make the environment in which people live healthier." Said Lundy.
Indiana is in a unique position to host the forum because the state is doing so well developing business but not so much health side. Lundy points to where Indiana lands in the latest United Health Foundation’s rankings.
"Number 41 for healthy behaviors, ranked 44th for adult smoking, 44th for obesity, 41st for physical inactivity… it’s kind of like when you’re sick and you can’t go to work, well Indiana can’t fully go to work if it’s having all these health problems." Explained Lundy.
The CDC estimates that personal and family health problems cost businesses nearly $1,700 per employee annually.
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