The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) conducts an annual survey on worldwide trends in health and fitness. They have recently released the results of this survey for what is expected in 2009. Implementing a comprehensive health promotion program at the workplace is rated number 12 in the 2009 survey. This is up from number 17 in 2008 and number 13 in 2007.

High ranking trends across the last three years include children and obesity, improved education and experience for fitness professionals, and strength training. As you can see these categories are quite broad, but what it does highlight is the importance of health programs within the workplace.

With approximately 95% of the adult population in Australia currently in work, workplace health programs offer an effective way of improving the overall health and wellness of the working age population.

The ACSM survey is also clear to use the word comprehensive when it refers to the type of health promotion programs within the workplace. There is no doubt that it is going to take a comprehensive wellness program to have a substantial impact on improving employees health and fitness.

It is also of interest that ‘work incentive programs’ ranked at number 14 in the survey. This describes the trend towards creating incentive programs to stimulate health behaviour change is part of employer-based health promotion programs.