It is important to look after the holistic health of your employees. Are you carrying your weight?

5/05/11: It is important to look after the holistic health of your employees. Are you carrying your weight?

As we tucked into food to celebrate the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo at our office on Thursday, the topic for discussion (other than Osama bin Laden and the afterglow of the royal wedding) was personal weight. Blame it on the finals of The Biggest Loser or the advent of winter or the plethora of articles about weight in the media, but weight was the topic of the day.

More than half of Australia's adult population is overweight or obese. In an environment where what we look like (rather than who we are) is so important, there appears to be growing pressure on Australians to lose weight. Therefore, an ever-growing amount of consumer spending is being directed toward efforts to get thinner and healthier.

As a business owner it is important to look after the holistic health of your employees. Their health and overall lifestyle affects their work and the workload shared by colleagues, so positive influences channel positive work behaviours.

My team is a fit, trim bunch of people, who have fitness regimes and look after their appearances. But as the colder months approach I am conscience that vitamin levels need to go up and flu symptoms start to creep in.

I offer a few healthy and fun extras for the team, including staff lie-in days, leave-early Fridays and food such as bread, fruit and Chupa Chups. In contrast, at Google, visitors to their Pyrmont office can view a full, free cafeteria to choose from.

You can evidently see bins piled high with wrappers from sugary drinks and chocolate bars. According to an article I read the other day, "Google 15" is the name given to the 15 pounds (6.8kg) employees may gain if they work for the company. But the cafe serves nutritious meals too and the company claims that great ideas are exchanged across the dining tables by staff.

In an increasingly competitive environment for skills, it may just pay to feed your team. What are your thoughts?

So is dieting big news here in Australia? You bet. Last year, Aussies spent $789.6 million on weight-loss services, low-kilojoule foods and shakes, diet cookbooks, weight-loss guides, dietary supplements and even surgery in their quest to slim down, Choice has said.

Are we starting to believe we should be thinner? Or is media fuelling a growing phenomenon for the health industry with celebrities endorsing slimming products ?

IBISWorld recently reported that this year Australia's fitness sector will earn revenue of $1.77 billion, representing growth of 3 percent per annum over the past five years, which is pretty solid considering the economic downturn which occurred during the same period. Much of this can be linked to consumer hype associated with shows such as The Biggest Loser and the emergence of new fitness trends, such as boot camps and Zumba.

With obesity levels still rising, spending on fitness activity will continue to increase and the fitness industry is forecast to grow at an average 4.9 percent per annum to reach $2.2 billion by 2016.

The facts speak for themselves.

Are we as a nation becoming more interested in becoming slimmer and trimmer? And what about in business? Do we judge other's skills and personalities on their health, weight and size? And does it affect your career? All very contentious questions.

It has been proven that the waistline does affect the bottom line. Studies globally have proven the affects obesity have on business productivity and revenue loss associated with increased medical costs, additional work days off and lower morale. How are you encouraging your staff to think holistically about their health?

I'll encourage my team to look after their wellbeing, eat healthily and exercise. But one thing is for sure, happiness is linked to self-confidence and if you look good, you feel good.

To view Sharon’s blog in Ninemsn, click here.

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