The media delights in mocking companies’ experiments with holacracy, the new “no boss” approach to running businesses that removes the management hierarchy and distributes power across roles. But the experts at a Global Wellness Institute roundtable on “Redefining Workplace Wellness” agreed that the future of work will be less hierarchical, top-down power structures. And this model of more self-responsible employees could have positive implications for companies’ wellness initiatives – which have been plagued by lack of engagement.
Rising Income Inequalities in Wealthy Nations Means Return to “Victorian Era” Early Death, Gout & Malnutrition
The consumer of last resort (the U.S. shopper) is in the doldrums. The combination of (1) disappointing retail sales, (2) stagnation in real wages (with the exception of high-skilled jobs), and (3) loss of momentum in the labour market (with unemployment rates staying at 5.1% only because of a drop in the labour participation rate) suggests that the trend will not reverse any time soon.
Must-Reads from the Wellness World (Week of December 2, 2015)
“Bitwalking Dollars: Digital Currency Pays People to Walk”
– BBC, November 21, 2015
An intriguing idea at the intersection of technology, wellness, finance and retail! With the help of Japanese investors, two entrepreneurs have launched a new digital currency (Bitwalking) that will allow walkers to earn 1 BW$ (or $1) for each 10,000 steps (verified by an app). Their idea is to take advantage of the trend for fitness trackers by offering an additional incentive to keep fit, and to partner with sportswear brands, health services, health insurance firms, environmental groups, and potentially advertisers, who could be offered unique insights into the audiences they are targeting.
Mexico City’s Obesity Innovation: Do 10 Squats at Metro/Bus Stops, Get a Free Ride
For many years the world has been waging a “war on obesity” with precious little success. This week Malleret argues that habits look to be changing …slowly. For instance, the president of Coca-Cola North America recently spoke about the “secular decline in carbonated soft drinks,” observing that, “health and wellness is a major enduring trend.” And Mexico City (in a country where 70 percent of adults are overweight) is getting creative: Do 10 squats at a metro or bus station, and you get a ticket for a free ride, an anti-stress ball, pedometer or pack of condoms.
With Every Hour of Later Bedtime, Body Mass Index Goes Up
There have been numerous medical studies linking too little sleep with weight gain, but now a new study from researchers at U.C. Berkeley and Columbia University suggests that when you go to bed may be key to that extra weight. Key finding: each hour of later bedtime was associated with a two-point jump in body mass index.
HERO in the Trenches: This Hasn't Been "Sexy" Work
This past week I attended an academic-like gathering in Chicago, Illinois, at a conference called HERO. The acronym stands for “Health Enhancement Research Organization,” but everyone these days only knows it as HERO. I had heard that this was “the” event where one could learn about the latest in employee health management. It seems I was right. HERO is a national nonprofit, and it works to improve the health and wellbeing of workers, their spouses, dependents and retirees. It is a collaboration of over 100 organizations and has been around for nearly 20 years.
