Healthy Workplaces for Healthy Employees

Dr. Nipit Piravej Director of Healthcare, Healthcare Strategy & Management, AIA Thailand

There are many challenges we have to meet in order for us to achieve better health outcomes. We can start by reducing the risk factors contributing to premature death. For Thailand and Southeast Asia, the top causes of death are continuing an ongoing shift toward non-communicable diseases. The top risk factors associated with premature death were high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high total cholesterol, high body mass index, smoking, excessive alcohol use and low whole grain, nuts and seeds intake. To achieve better scenarios, the appropriate strategy is to reduce the risk factors. Insufficient physical activity is a leading risk factor for non-communicable diseases, and has a negative effect on mental health and quality of life. Increased physical activity is the single most effective step we can take for improving our health. Moving forward to the next decades, living longer will need to be taken charge at our individual level, shifted from the driving dominantly by the i mplementation of progressive public policies and interventions as in the past decades. However, we also know how challenging it is for individuals to be effective in negotiating his or her wellness journey alone. We can achieve better results through more organised models involving the concerned stakeholders and we can do this in practical settings and set-ups that align benefits to achieve the necessary engagement, motivation, and participation. This will enable the desired health outcomes. Among various models tested worldwide, the employeremployee-work-place health and wellness model is one of the most practical. Given that most employees spend at least a third of their productive time at their workplaces with their employers, it has the highest potential. AIA’s Healthiest Workplace is a health and wellness movement that AIA Thailand is committed to in order to bring employers and employees together on their journey toward living healthier, longer, and better lives.