June is National Employee Wellness Month! Research has shown that promoting health and wellness in the workplace can reduce absenteeism, lower health care costs, improve employee morale, reduce employee turnover and enhance employee recruitment. 

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognizes that everyone has a role in helping support healthy eating patterns and physical activity in multiple settings nationwide, specifically where people live, learn, work, play, pray and shop. Policy, systems and environmental (PSE) change strategies can be implemented across a continuum and may be employed on a limited scale as part of a multi-level intervention through community and public health approaches. Strategies are normally community-focused, population-based interventions aimed at preventing a disease or condition or limiting death or disability from a disease or condition.  Using a three-tiered approach focusing on direct education, PSE change strategies and marketing/promotion, conditions are created where people are encouraged to act on their knowledge and awareness.

According to the Centers for Disease (CDC), more than 156 million full-time workers in the U.S. spend most of their daily waking hours in the workplace, making them an ideal location to implement supportive approaches for health and wellness. 

Delaware Fit Biz (DFB) is a worksite PSE initiative, funded by USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP, that implements PSE strategies in two large scale worksites in Kent and Sussex Counties. Through the implementation of policy, systems and environmental changes (PSEs), supported by technical assistance, marketing and coordinated educational programming, Delaware Fit Biz will ensure that the healthiest choice is the easiest choice for employees!