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No child left (with a small) behind. America ’s future workforce unfit for duty. Entry 9 -2010
Obesity is now a top reason that recruits cannot qualify to serve in the military ( < a href= " http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/53804 " > 1 < /a > ), along with failure to finish high school and having a criminal record. Nine million young people are too overweight to serve and each year 1200 recruits are dismissed because of persistent weight issues. One former surgeon general describes obesity as moving beyond an epidemic to a “state of emergency” ( < a href= " http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/53804 " > 1 < /a > ). What will workers look like in ten or twenty years? Are we building a capable,...
Source: Health as Human Capital - Illustrated Research Summaries - August 1, 2010 Category: Health Management Authors: Wendy Lynch, Ph.D. Source Type: blogs

Letting employees manage their own time off? Maybe it ’s a win-win. Entry 23 – 2009
At the Health as Human Capital Foundation, we often witness scenarios where employees, when given the choice and proper incentives, actually spend company time and money MORE wisely than they would under a strict set of rules or governing policies. This is just that sort of example. Most every company we work with has an extensive paid-time-off policy, detailing what days are allowed, for what purposes, and at what times during the year. There are extensive rules governing its use and tracking their frequency. But it ’s...
Source: Health as Human Capital - Illustrated Research Summaries - November 7, 2009 Category: Health Management Authors: Wendy Lynch, Ph.D. Source Type: blogs

Part IV: Business Practices —A major, modifiable driver of healthcare costs. Entry 21 - 2009
In the < a href= " http://hhcf.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-much-does-health-drive-healthcare.html " > previous blog < /a > , we covered three out of the four drivers of healthcare costs: 1) Basic costs & amp; bad luck; 2) Demographics and labor market; and 3) Health status. We learned that #1 and #2 account for a portion of healthcare costs that are non-modifiable, and that health status is a less influential driver than one might expect. We move to the final driver of healthcare costs, which is both modifiable and significant, but unfortunately too often overlook...
Source: Health as Human Capital - Illustrated Research Summaries - October 10, 2009 Category: Health Management Authors: Wendy Lynch, Ph.D. Source Type: blogs

The best prevention doesn ’t come from doctors, it comes from your everyday life. Entry 16 - 2009
I know someone, Jane, who goes to the doctor all the time. She has every ache, bump, rash or other symptom seen by a physician, usually a specialist. Jane often starts a statement with “my (insert a specialist type like orthopedic surgeon) says….” She is vigilant about regular check-ups and timely screening tests, which in her mind means she is practicing prudent prevention. The media (and discussions of healthcare reform), often limit their discussions of prevention to activities like check-ups and screening tests. A recent White House stakeholder ’s meeting included suggestions from physicians s...
Source: Health as Human Capital - Illustrated Research Summaries - August 1, 2009 Category: Health Management Authors: Wendy Lynch, Ph.D. Source Type: blogs