Workplace Health

RSS

According to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (a panel of 13 nutrition experts charged with helping develop federal nutrition standards), Americans are eating many more calories than they used to.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Office for Total Worker Health (TWH)™ recently launched an Affiliate Program in order to increase the number of work environments that support the overall safety, health and well-being of workers. Inaugural members of the NIOSH TWH Affiliate Program include the University of Colorado, School of Public Health and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

While a desk or computer workstation might not seem like a risky place in which to spend one’s working hours, there are potential ergonomic hazards you should be aware of, along with ways to avoid them.

Each year, the U.S. spends nearly $9,000 for the health of every American -- far more than what the governments of other countries spend on the health of their citizens – yet life expectancy and health outcomes are generally worse for Americans than for citizens of other developed nations in North America and Europe.

Americans now have the most inexpensive food available in history – and that is at least one factor fueling the obesity epidemic. A new review summarizes what is known about economic factors tied to the obesity epidemic in the United States and concludes many common beliefs are wrong.

A new survey showing that American workers grossly overestimate their health is at the heart of a groundbreaking initiative announced this week by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the CEOs of 22 U.S. companies representing more than two million employees.

From the Harvard Medical School: Strength or resistance training challenges your muscles with a stronger-than-usual counterforce, such as pushing against a wall, lifting a dumbbell, or pulling on a resistance band. Using progressively heavier weights or increasing resistance makes muscles stronger. This kind of exercise increases muscle mass, tones muscles, and strengthens bones.

Planning fun summer activities, such as beach trips, hiking, and gardening?  The EPA has some useful recommendations that are good for your health, your wallet, and your environment.

Nearly two-thirds of emergency room patients who reported drug use in the previous 30 days met the criteria for having a drug problem, according to a study published online Thursday in Annals of Emergency Medicine (“Identifying Patients with Problematic Drug Use in the Emergency Department: Results of a Multi-Site Study”).