Our Approach
We are improving access to nutritious foods and encouraging healthier decisions at the workplace through comprehensive worksite wellness programs. Through assessment, training and evidence-based tools we are building opportunities to address comprehensive wellness for businesses across Kentucky.
Why Worksites?
Wellness programs reduce chronic diseases in a population and lower health care costs for both employees and employers. Since employees spend about 36% of their total waking hours on the job, the worksite can be an important place for programs that improve health, well-being, and productivity for workers. Employers can often reach a captive audience of adults—many of which are parents that will benefit from better understanding of nutrition and physical activity practices for their families.
Highlights
Better Bites
Making healthy options more accessible to the public is a key piece in changing our expectations, acceptance and consumption of better food. That’s why Kentucky state government has teamed up with the Tweens Nutrition and Fitness Coalition to offer you dependable, healthy choices when you’re at work. Each item has been certified to meet nutrition standards without sacrificing taste. Look for the Better Bites logo to know you are making a healthy, easy choice! For more information please visit the Tweens Coalition’s webpage.
Worksite Wellness Pilot Project
Kentucky is piloting a worksite wellness program in 5 small- to mid-sized businesses with an emphasis on organizational support, nutrition standards and increasing opportunities for physical activity. The program is based on the CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard and focuses on gaining leadership support, providing training for employers and on-site technical assistance.
Relevant Documents
Kentucky's Vision for Worksite Wellness [PDF]
Learn more about Kentucky's plan to provide access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities to employees and their families through comprehensive worksite wellness programs in all public and private organizations.
Kentucky Worksite Wellness Tax Credit: A Health Impact Assessment [PDF]
The purpose of the assessment was to evaluate the potential effects of a worksite wellness tax credit on three main areas of concern for Kentucky: (1) nutrition, physical activity and obesity levels of children whose parents receive Worksite Wellness services, (2) jobs and (3) social cohesion. The report was released in January 2012.
View the full report [PDF]
Eat Smart Kentucky: Guidelines for Healthy Food and Beverages at Meetings, Gatherings and Events [PDF]
This tool is for anyone who is in charge of food-related events. Making simple changes to food and drink you offer at group and community events gives Kentuckians disease-fighting foods and the energy boost they may need without worrying about too many calories or too much unhealthy fat.