Let’s talk about wellness. It may seem odd for an insurance professional to talk about wellness, but if you give some consideration it makes perfect sense. My main job is to keep your insurance dollars down to a minimum while providing you with your best options for your situation.

Wellness will be a big issue in the State of Alabama in 2010. According to NAHU (National Association of Health Underwriters), Alabama state employees will face financial ramifications for obesity and poor health practices. With benefits for most state employees are low in premium dollar cost, this new mandate will require all employees to “get with the program” and get healthy or see an increase in their insurance costs.

Wellness is also an issue that the new US Administration will be encouraging as they try to figure out the health care for the U.S. With wellness programs in place, the U.S. Government sees a substantial savings as more people stay well and less need medical care.

Wellness is nothing new. We learned it in school through P.E. and our general nutrition classes. We all just tend to migrate toward ease and relaxing and spend less time “Sweatin’ To the Oldies”. The older we get, the slower we seems to want to move. The next time you are out, look for a few things: (1) How many tobacco users do you see? (2) How many people do you see who could be borderline overweight or even obese? (3) What did the people sitting around you get to eat? Things like this, should you choose to notice them will shock you. Then ask yourself why the state of Alabama currently ranks 2nd in the nation for obesity.

A wellness program in your place of employment could be the jump-start you and your people need to be more productive, lead healthier lives, and finally take control of their potential longevity.