A Corporate Travel Culture of Healthy Eating?

We hear a lot about corporate wellness programs as employers work hard to manage healthcare costs. In fact, corporate wellness services have exploded into a $2 billion industry. Corporate Wellness Programs focus on reducing employer healthcare costs through incentives, in-house facilities, and education that promote healthy lifestyle choices. Incentives include rewards for participating in a wellness program, achieving certain health outcomes or metrics, or progress towards desired health outcomes such as, a targeted blood pressure, cholesterol, weight or body mass index (BMI) reading. These incentives or rewards include reduced insurance premiums, cash/gift cards, or contributions to health savings accounts. The cost of corporate wellness programs is estimated to increase to $594 per employee as employers recognize the importance of investing in preventative health initiatives.

Unfortunately, corporate wellness programs don’t help the business traveler when it comes to eating healthy on the road.

Corporate business travel, on the other hand, is a $274 billion industry. There are an estimated 30 to 40 million business travelers in the US alone. Nearly 30 percent of the working adult population in the US is at much higher risk for cancer and overall poor health simply because travel is part of their job description. Can companies create a corporate travel culture of healthy eating to rival corporate wellness programs in managing healthcare costs? Corporate Wellness Magazine just published an article I wrote on this very subject with some suggestions. Read the article here.