7 Success Factors in Setting up Winning Wellness Committees

1. Make sure all departments are represented ==> equal representation
2. Keep it between 5-12 ==> manageable sizes
3. Conscientious employees
4. Good role model
5. Likeable Leaders
6. Good communicators ==> to get your message out
7. Diversity (men/women/Black/White/Hispanic/Asian)

Choose wisely.  Wellness committee members are an integral component in your success of your wellness program.  Team members want to be part of the team; therefore, they want to help make the decisions as to the direction.  Wellness committee member are ambassadors, it is important that they don’t only serve the directive from the leadership team.

I’ve worked with an organization with 1,800 people and the most important factor in our success would be that we made sure that there was a representative from each department.  If the department is too small, then have a representative from a cluster of smaller departments.  Choose individuals based on their commitment to wellness, ability to communicate well and likeable.  It also helps to choose individuals who are conscientious enough to want to make-up the time that they are away from their regular jobs.  Effective wellness program usually increase productivity so be wary of the members who may use it as an excuse to get away from their jobs. 

The number of employees should be enough to divide the work fairly and effectively.  In addition, you want team members to provide good marketing and to communicate well with all departments.

The wellness team needs to be cohesive.  An effective leader of the team will maintain balance while generating energy and results.  That's what we look for in our programs.

Don't Be Confused by the Dates -- 2010 Dietary Guidelines Will be Published in 2011

I was excited to get an invitation from the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion to attend the launching of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines.  The event is on Monday, January 31, 2011 in Washington, DC.  I will be watching via webcast and blogging and tweeting as they review these guidelines. 

The USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services will be announcing the new 2010 Guidelines.  At first, I thought it was a typo but after researching it, I realized that it is the updated guidelines.  The initial report came out in mid-June and there was committee review along with six meetings for public comment.

Updates to the guidelines are every five years.  The last time they were updated was 2005 where there were several breakthroughs.  2005’s focus was based on methodology including evidence-based research and the message was healthy weight and exercise.  I remember being confused at the new pyramid and was concerned that most people would have a difficult time understanding them.  But there were many tools that people could use to work at maintaining their goal weight with a strong focus on leafy green vegetables.  Also, there were calculators and guides on exercise for every age.  The focus was nutrition with a message, feel better today, stay healthy for tomorrow.  I like it.  The 2005 guidelines can be found at

http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines.