Media Contact: Beth McGroarty
[email protected] • +1.213.300.0107
Global Wellness Institute Launches Next Phase of The Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease
The non-profit’s campaign will provide organizations worldwide with The Wellness Moonshot Calendar and monthly ideas and information to create a healthier culture at work
Miami, FL – February 19, 2019 – The Global Wellness Institute’s Wellness Moonshot is an initiative to eradicate preventable, chronic diseases by inciting multi-level action and collaboration among the oft-siloed forces all working to build a healthier world. And today the GWI announced the Wellness Moonshot’s next phase: “The Wellness Moonshot Calendar: A Year of Inspiration,” a call to action to create healthier cultures within companies and workplaces everywhere. Organizations that commit to participate will receive an inspiring 2019 calendar along with tangible monthly ideas, tips and information to engage their employees around a particular wellness theme. January focused on awareness and revealing the floor-to-ceiling hanging calendar, while February focuses on actions and ideas to create a “well heart.”
The calendar, meant to be prominently hung in organizations, was designed by Jessica Jesse, CEO of BuDhaGirl. It revolves around the cycles of the full moon, the period of the lunar cycle that emits the most vibrant energy, inspiring new ideas and habits. And today’s launch coincides with the largest full moon of 2019, which will shine 30% brighter than usual.
Renee Moorefield, chair of the GWI’s Wellness at Work Initiative, CEO of the leadership development firm Wisdom Works, and the expert curating the calendar’s monthly tips and information, noted: “If you really want to move the needle on preventable disease and create high employee engagement, you must create an everyday culture of wellbeing at work. The Wellness Moonshot Calendar gives leaders fresh and practical ideas every month to realize the kind of work environment where people bring their best, and leave work more well, happier and more capable than when they arrived.”
The Chronic Disease and Unhealthy Work Culture Crises
Lifestyle-related diseases and healthcare costs only continue to skyrocket. The harsh reality: roughly 70% of all deaths each year are a result of preventable diseases (CDC) and the global price tag of largely preventable chronic diseases could reach a crippling $47 trillion by 2030 (World Economic Forum). The GWI decided, analyzing the research, that to create meaningful change you must focus on the workplace. Not only do adults spend most of their waking hours at their jobs, GWI research shows that more than three-quarters of all employees report they’re struggling with their wellbeing. For instance, 52% are overweight/obese and the workforce is aging at an historic rate: 18% will be over 55 by 2030. And despite the fact that the cost of unwellness at work represents 10-15% of global economic output (with $2.2 trillion lost every year in the US alone), only 9% of the world’s workforce has access to some form of wellness program.
This is why The Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease gained the immediate support of hundreds of health and wellness leaders, including Dr. Elke Benedetto-Reisch, Medical Director, Lanserhof Group; Dr. Richard H. Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States; Mindy Grossman, President & CEO, WW International, Inc.; Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, Professor of Surgery, Columbia University and host of The Dr. Oz Show; Dr. Dean Ornish, Founder and President of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute; Dr. Michael Roizen, Chief Wellness Officer, Cleveland Clinic; and Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, Physician and Author.
“We know that The Wellness Moonshot Calendar can have an exponentially growing impact: our goal is to get the leaders of hundreds of thousands of organizations to commit to healthier work cultures, and they can then in turn impact the employees they supervise in a meaningful way,” noted Susie Ellis, GWI chairman and CEO. “We want to give every organization—large or small—a monthly roadmap for meaningful change, because the beauty of this program is that anyone within any company or community can implement The Wellness Moonshot Calendar and impact their circle of influence.”
Ellis, who will be on the panel entitled “Going Global: International Perspective on Economics and Global Wellbeing Solutions” tomorrow at the Lake Nona Impact Forum (February 20-22) will also lead a roundtable discussion on The Wellness Moonshot and share the new calendar.
Organizations and individuals can support The Wellness Moonshot and receive the new calendar by making a donation to the non-profit GWI, signifying their commitment to create a culture of wellness within their organization or community.
The following companies are early sponsors of The Wellness Moonshot Calendar (listed with the wellness topic they’re sponsoring): Tower Companies (the heart), Biologique Recherce (the brain), [ comfort zone ] (“go green”), MINDBODY (move), Rancho Sante Fe Foundation (kids), Delos (sleep), BuDhaGirl (joy) and Hyatt Hotels Corporation (gratitude).
If you are interested in sponsoring, please contact Nancy Davis: nancy.davis@ globalwellnessinstitute.org.
For more information, contact Beth McGroarty: [email protected] or (+1) 213-300-0107
About the Global Wellness Institute: The Global Wellness Institute (GWI), a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is considered the leading global research and educational resource for the global wellness industry and is known for introducing major industry initiatives and regional events that bring together leaders to chart the future. GWI positively impacts global health and wellness by advocating for both public institutions and businesses that are working to help prevent disease, reduce stress, and enhance the overall quality of life. Its mission is to empower wellness worldwide.
