Index

66 RESULTS PAU AUGUST 2007

USEFUL LINKS

NEWSLETTER

FACT SHEETS

John Miller conducted a Work/Life balance and fitness seminar for The Group in August 2007.

28 participants, 15 men and 13 women took part in the program. Most completed the following profiles: -

■ Mind and Body

■ Elite Force Fitness

■ Stress risk

■ Career satisfaction

The results are presented in graphic format, with commentary.

CONTEXT

The health assessment program conducted by Miller Health is based on the premise that the health of key body systems depends on

•      physical fitness

•      diet

•      an ability to manage the stress of both life and work and

•      avoidance of a toxic environment.

Within the Australian community, there is currently an epidemic of body system dysfunctions which when translated into the workplace are associated with increased absenteeism and workers compensation, and decreased work performance and productivity.

There are three principal categories of dysfunction,

▪ metabolic

▪ musculo-skeletal

▪ psychological.

These dysfunctions are recognised by their symptoms

There are very few people and even fewer organisations that are not affected by this epidemic.

At the same time as workplace incidents causing injury have declined, the incidents of personal body system dysfunctions has increased.

Because these dysfunctions are personally generated it is imperative that organisations put up a firewall between dysfunctions and injuries and move heaven and earth to prevent the dysfunctions from being treated as compensatable injuries. For staff and organisation alike, it's better to deal with small problems rather than allowing them to become large problems.

In this day and age, organisations with high levels of absenteeism, presenteeism and workers compensation premiums are not adequately managing the dysfunctions.

You can't solve a 21st Century problem with a 20th Century solution.

It's time for an new OH&S model.

THE ASSESSMENTS

The assessments took an holistic look at health, based on the premise that the major systems of the body maintain healthy function when they are supported by 

HEALTH PROFILES

The Mind and Body profile was used as a way of obtaining a snap shot of people’s health, fitness and stress levels. In the workplace it is also a good measure of the risk of absenteeism, presenteeism and workers’ compensation.

People in poor physical condition experience

•      headaches

•      poor sleep

•      lack of energy and vitality

•      musculo-skeletal dysfunction

•      frequent colds and flu

•      obesity

•      anxiety ...

Click here to view the standards for each of the profiles.

The aging population

We believe (barring disability) there is little stopping most people of working age from being in exceptionally good physical condition – except lack of training. It's not so much that we have an aging population but a dysfunctional population.

Theoretically, as people get older they should be able to maintain a high level of fitness – they’ve had longer to train!

The Governments of Australia base their medical system data on the fact that as people get older they become more dysfunctional. It's a poorly researched premise. What's actually happening is that people are getting older younger! They're unfit and unhealthy.

As a general rule, poor health and body system dysfunction is not so much related to age as it is to

•      low levels of physical activity

•      junk food diets

•      over-consumption of alcohol

•      smoking

•      an inability to handle the normal stresses of life

•      a job that does not suit their personality, intelligence strengths or interests

•      an over-reliance on junk medicine - medicine that is pharmaceutically based and which

       masks symptoms without stimulating the body's own recuperative power.

MIND AND BODY PROFILE

The Mind and Body profile provides people with a very good idea of how well the various systems of the body are functioning, particularly the

•      the mind

•      autonomic nervous system

•      immune system

•      digestive system

•      circulatory system

•      elimination system

•      musculo-skeletal system.

How well people score on the Mind and Body profile provides them with a good indication of how fit and healthy they really are.

I read somewhere that we don't see full blown body system dysfunction until the particular system is 70% dysfunctional. What the Mind and Body profile does is pick up the dysfunctions at an early stage - (you know something's wrong and you feel dreadful but you can't put your finger on the particular system that's causing it.

But it doesn't matter that you don't know the precise system involved. What you are aware of is that one or more of your systems isn't working at full pitch. There is something wrong with the whole ecosystem.

The good news is that you can restore poor function to normal healthy function by getting fitter, eating wisely, meditating, getting the job you'd love to do ...) Very few people became fitter and healthier in a surgery or a pharmacy!

Being vigorously physically active on a regular and systematic basis is the most powerful symbol of your ability to give back to your Self. On top of that it protects the body from a wide range of dysfunctions and contributes to an enhancement of the body's own recuperative powers.

There is an epidemic of body system dysfunction in our community and it is certainly not caused by a lack of Panadol, Avpro, Diabex, Lipitor, Ventolin, Milantin, Celebrex, Valium, Zoloft, Viagra or Anusol!

The mind/body relationship

The body is an ecosystem of which the mind is an integral part. Major body systems are frequently negatively affected by stress generated in the mind. The body is incapable of dishonesty!

On the other hand, the mind is effected by the healthy working order of other body systems. Certainly it is positively affected by vigorous, physical activity, and Hourglass diet, meditation and a low-toxic environment.

People who are physically fit are less likely to become depressed. They are also more likely to have a strong immune system and an autonomic nervous system that is balanced and healthy in its management of key physiological responses. They are healthy and happy. They have normal blood pressure, they sleep like logs, are about their ideal weighty, rarely, if ever get a headache and don't have a crook back.

As your fitness level improves you can be certain that your score on the Mind and Body profile will also. 

The profile

On this profile, the lower the score the better.

To complete the profile, circle the number appropriate to the degree to which you experience the symptoms on the left hand side of the page. The greater the symptom, the higher the score.

The score of a normal, fit and healthy human being is less than 20     

Higher scores are symptomatic of dysfunction of one or more body systems.

People with high levels of stress usually score well over 100.

For people with a score of more than 80, the ‘background noise’ of their life is becoming louder and louder. It is hard to concentrate on your work when body systems are dysfunctional.

We know a fit and healthy group when we see the majority of scores below 40. This was not the case with this group. By and large higher scores are usually a reflection of

•      low levels of fitness

•      an inability to deal with what life and work are serving up to people.

Remember, it is not what happens, but how we deal with what happens that determines our level of stress. 

Classification of average scores: Excellent - less than 40. Good - 41 - 50. Reasonable 51-60. Poor - over 60.

This profile is described as poor. The average score was 68. Anyone scoring more than 80 is putting up with a lot of 'background noise'.

HEALTH CLIMATE SURVEY

Based on scores received in the Mind and Body profile we've compiled a Health Climate Survey. Scores on each item have ranked - the higher the score the worse the problem. We added the scores for each item. The results appear in the table below.

* Fitness related

* Diet related

* Stress related

Our recommendation is that the organisation focus on improving scores on the 7 items highlighted.

Perception

Based on people's perception (where they gave a particular symptom a score of 7 or more, and backed up by objective scores) the three key issues are low levels of fitness, high blood pressure and obesity. The blood pressure and obesity scores are, of course associated with low levels of aerobic fitness.

Fitness

This workplace, like all others has a fitness problem. Of the top 8 items, 6 are directly related to low levels of fitness.

It's interesting that rarely do people have their aerobic fitness levels measured, when aerobic fitness is the key driver of poor health. We measure every thing but; blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and fail to measure the key driver of metabolic health. In this survey we measured aerobic fitness and too many people were found wanting.

Blood pressure

The organisation has a serious blood pressure problem that relates directly to

- lack of aerobic fitness

- being over weight

- being stressed.

25% of people surveyed had a blood pressure problem.

A blood pressure reduction program that is pharmaceutically based misses the point. The medication masks the symptom - the underlying causes persist. Bad behaviour is encouraged.

I recommend the organisation take very serious note of blood pressure results and give staff every encouragement to seek non-medical interventions to restore blood pressure to normal. Of course when high blood pressure is first diagnosed medication is an appropriate, short term therapy, but it needs to be accompanied by the following programs

- fitness

- weight reduction

- yoga or meditation

- holidays

- stress management.

Obesity

A number of people were 10 or more kilograms overweight. This is not a trim, taut organisation. It's symptomatic of high energy diets, low energy lifestyles and (probably) people spending too much time at work.

Because of the nature of the work, I recommend that the organisation phase in mandatory fitness standards. My belief is that staff will welcome the initiative. For starters they'll feel better. Certainly once they become fitter they'll become healthier and be grateful to the organisation for the encouragement.

Any organisation that takes fit and healthy people from the community has a responsibility to give them back to the community in good condition!

The main driver of body system dysfunction is lack of physical fitness. In the case of musculo-skeletal dysfunction it's a strength and flexibility problem. For the other items marked with a red asterisk it's an aerobic fitness problem.

Musculo-skeletal dysfunction

Like most organisations, the organisation has a musculo-skeletal dysfunction problem. Sooner or later these self-generated dysfunctions become labeled as 'injuries', at great cost to the organisation's workers compensation arrangements.

It is recommended that the organisation build a firewall between dysfunctions and injuries. What this means is requiring staff at risk (and staff experiencing musculo-skeletal pain) to attend musculo-skeletal prehab sessions, in work time, to improve strength and flexibility and to get bones back into alignment - tracksuit therapy not white coat therapy.

Our surveys showed that staff will willingly participate in such a program.

Smoking

Too many people smoke. My recommendation is that smoking be banned from the Parks Uluru precinct.

Depression

There is an epidemic of depression in our community and we encourage all organisations to target depression. No-one was on anti-depressant medication. This is good news.

ELITE FORCE FITNESS PROFILE

The elite force fitness profile is comprised of a mix of 8 parameters.

•      Systolic blood pressure

•      Diastolic blood pressure

•      Body composition

•      Abdominal strength test

•      Flexibility

•      Upper body strength

•      Functional mobility – the ability to sit down and stand up with ease.

•      Aerobic fitness

To compute the final score we gave the aerobic fitness component an extra weighting (x). Grip strength was not included in the over-all rating.

	6 people who did the fitness test had elevated blood pressure. High systolic blood pressure is symptomatic of an over-stimulated sympathetic nervous system. People do not have in train strategies to 'cool' themselves down.		Not as bad. Two people very high. Diastolic blood pressure is more related to fundamental working order of the vascular system.
	Based on percent body fat, 8 people were more than 10Kg over weight.		This is a poor result for an outdoor group. Too many people lack the abdominal strength . The pass mark (7/10) was set at 40 situps in 90 seconds. An inability to do 40 situps on the trot is evidence of a lack of strength training.
	Whilst it is a reasonable result overall, it's patchy and those scoring less than 7 are at risk of lower back, shoulder and neck dysfunction.		This is a poor result. Once again the pass mark (7/10) was set at 40 pressups in 60 seconds. If you can't do 40 pressups you're not serious about keeping your arms, shoulder and upper back strong. It's not a tough assignment.
	A good result. To achieve the pass mark (7/10) participants were required to sit down and stand up 11 times in 30 seconds. The 6 people scoring less than 6 have a mobility problem.		The pass mark was set at 47, 20 metre laps for men and 45 for women. 4/10 was 41 laps for men and 39 for women. The aerobic fitness of this group is off the pace.
	Grip strength was only of modest proportions.
Average score out of 100: 62. This is a reasonable score, but it's off the pace for a fit and healthy workforce.

STRESS RISK PROFILE

Participants completed a simple stress and relaxation profile designed to assist them in making an assessment of how they were affected by stress. It is based on the habits of unstressed people.

If you do what unstressed people do you are less at risk of becoming stressed. I’m yet to see someone who said they were highly stressed or depressed who got a high score on this profile. A good score is over 70.

•      How would you rate your current stress level

•      Do you get a good night’s sleep?

•      Do you take your holidays?

•      Are you keeping yourself fit and healthy?

•      Is there balance in your life?

•      Do you take time off at lunch time?

•      How many hours a week do you work?

•      Are you good at giving back to your Self?

•      Do you meditate?

•      Are you happy with your family (and romantic) life?

The matter of stress always needs to be addressed by organisations as part of a personal development thrust, and aimed at all staff. If stress management type programs are to be conducted, all staff need to be involved, otherwise those at most risk and those who are currently most stressed (and too wrapped up in their own busyness) will not attend.

For those who spend long hours at work, I often wonder whether the behaviour is externally or internally driven. I suspect the latter. No body on their death bed ever said 'I wish I'd spent more time at the office.'

A few people are struggling with their family life. This is another fertile  area for personal development and counseling programs. It's hard to concentrate at work when your home life is in turmoil

SCORING GUIDELINES

Excellent, scoring 8 or more

Good, scoring 7 or more

Fair, scoring 5 or 6           

Poor, scoring less than 5

‘Pass mark’ on all parameters 7/10.   

CAREER SATISFACTION PROFILE

The parameters in the profile relate to a mix of factors influences by the participant, management and their colleagues.

•      How close are you to doing the job you’d really like to be doing?

•      Are you in the right job for now?

•      Is work giving you life or sucking life out of you?

•      Are you focused on your career options?

•      Do you get good feedback from your manager?

•      Do you receive an appropriate financial reward?

•      Do you feel you and your work are valued and appreciated?

•      Do you work for an organisation that cares about people?

•      Do you enjoy the company of the people you work with?

•      What’s the level of morale like in your work group?

Normally, when results on the overall career profile are less than 70/100, people agree that they’re not in the right job. Certainly those scoring less than 60 have sufficient issues relating to career management as to seriously consider going somewhere else.

SCORING GUIDELINES

Excellent, scoring 8 or more

Good, scoring 7 or more

Fair, scoring 5 or 6           

Poor, scoring less than 5

‘Pass mark’ on all parameters 7/10. 

RECOMMENDATION

See the generic list of recommendations that cover all our profiles.