UnumProvident Among 22 Companies Recognized for Combating Obesity and
Promoting Healthy WorkplaceCHATTANOOGA, Tenn., June 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The National
Business Group on Health, a national non-profit organization, today honored
UnumProvident Corporation (NYSE: UNM) for its commitment and dedication to
combating obesity and promoting a healthy lifestyle for its employees.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030929/CHM022LOGO-a )
UnumProvident was among 22 employers who received the "Best Employers for
Healthy Lifestyles" award at the Obesity Leadership Summit sponsored by the
Business Group's Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity. The
company received a Gold Award for its commitment to proactively addressing the
health and welfare of its employees.
"We are committed to managing the rising cost of health care by supporting
programs that help promote a greater understanding of what a healthy lifestyle
looks like," said Eileen Farrar, senior vice president of Human Resources for
UnumProvident. "We believe that high quality health care includes an
educational dimension, and UnumProvident can help actively educate our
employees so they can take a more proactive approach to managing their
health."
UnumProvident's aims to be employees' principal source for tools, programs
and resources that support individual efforts to use health care effectively
and efficiently. These goals are achieved through:
- Health Resource Centers (HRCs) at the company's main campuses that
offer classes and counseling for employees on nutrition, self-care and
other healthy lifestyle practices. Nurses at each HRC provide limited
medical assistance including conducting health screenings and
administering flu and allergy shots. They also refer employees to
health-related resources and programs as necessary.
- Significant changes to the menus at the company's four cafeterias. The
cafeterias now offer more health-conscious choices and a variety of
food choices to meet various dietary needs of employees. Developing
awareness about nutrition has helped stimulate employee demand for
healthy meal choices. Healthy choices are also available in vending
machines.
- Partnership with the company's health care insurer, Anthem Blue Cross
Blue Shield, to introduce a Health Management Tool that provides a
personalized report about each employee's health. The health risk
assessment helps employees and their doctors determine the potential
risks for certain medical conditions and identifies ways to improve
health.
- An overall communications strategy dedicated to educating employees
about the company's benefit programs stresses the importance of
physical activity and good nutrition. In addition to explaining the
resources the company provides, the company's communications stress the
individual accountability employees have relative to rising health care
costs.
- Other programs and services including on-site fitness facilities at
four company locations; an employee assistance program with a variety
of information on health-related topics; a healthy living e-newsletter;
and periodic campaigns focused on weight reduction, physical activity
and overall well-being.
"We are very pleased to honor UnumProvident for achieving these high
standards and successfully implementing a lifestyle improvement program
designed to reduce obesity and encourage healthier living for their
employees," said Helen Darling, president of the Business Group.
"UnumProvident's leaders are visionaries and know how critical it is that they
support their employees' efforts to choose healthier lifestyles."
The Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles awards program was created by
the Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity to honor those who
recognize the urgent need to improve their workers' health, productivity and
quality of life. The underlying goal of the program is to serve as a catalyst
to encourage all employers to take action; the awards also serve as a channel
for sharing and comparing successful interventions, programs and services.
Winners of the "Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyle" awards were honored
in one of three categories: Platinum, for established programs with measurable
outcomes; Gold, for creating cultural and environmental changes that support
employees who have made a commitment to long-term behavior changes; and
Silver, for those employers who have launched significant programs or services
to promote living a healthier lifestyle. For more information,
visit http://www.businessgrouphealth.org.
About UnumProvident
UnumProvident (UNM) is the largest provider of group and individual
disability income protection insurance in the United States and United
Kingdom. Through its subsidiaries, UnumProvident Corporation insures more than
25 million people and paid $5.9 billion in total benefits to customers in
2004. With primary offices in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Portland, Maine, the
company employs more than 12,000 people worldwide. For more information,
visit http://www.unumprovident.com.
SOURCE UnumProvident Corporation
-0- 06/21/2005
/CONTACT: Mary Clarke Guenther, Manager, Media Relations of UnumProvident
Corporation, +1-423-294.6300, or mguenther@unumprovident.com , or Toll free,
+1-866-750-8686/
/Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030929/CHM022LOGO-a
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com /
/Web site: http://www.unumprovident.comhttp://www.businessgrouphealth.org /
(UNM)
CO: UnumProvident Corporation; National Business Group on Health; Obesity
Leadership Summit; The Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles awards
program; Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity
ST: Tennessee, Maine
IN: HEA MTC FIN INS
SU: NPT AWD SVY
WB-PF
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1567 06/21/200514:00 EDThttp://www.prnewswire.com