Wellness

When governments increase their investments in programs that promote healthy aging, health care costs are reduced, according to the Preventive Care and Healthy Ageing: A Global Perspective, a Pfizer-sponsored report from the Economist Intelligence Unit.

In the months after Doug Robinson started driving a truck, he noticed his clothes were increasingly more snug-fitting. He was already overweight but soon realized that spending up to 11 hours behind the wheel, frequently eating fast food and not exercising was a poor combination.

As criticism over sugary sodas intensifies, Coke, Pepsi and Dr Pepper are rolling out new vending machines that display just how many calories are in their drinks.

Jennifer Livingston has always rebuffed personal attacks, so when the Wisconsin television anchorwoman got an email from a viewer criticizing her weight, she thought nothing of it.

If theres a workplace that could use an employee assistance program, itd be Mad Mens Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. The workers in the fictional advertising agency openly drink like fish on and off the job and work in an environment that would make todays HR pros want to cringe.

When used by employers as part of a medical management programparticularly wellness and disease managementincentives are proven to significantly raise participation rates, leading to improved member health, increased productivity, reduced health care spending and, ultimately, positive returns on their investment.

A new report finds startups lead the charge in the wellness revolution.