42% of the employees in the Indian private sector are affected by depression, according to a study by Assocham, 2015. A HealthcareMagic report also says that 75% of corporate employees have elevated cholesterol levels and 80% have high BP levels.
“Corporate India is sitting on ticking time-bomb in terms of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and occupational hazards like chronic back pain… seem to be the norm rather than the exception,” says Dr Abhilash Thirupathy (co-founder and vice-president HalthcareMagic.)
Stress is said to trigger 1,400 biochemical changes in the body, problems such as stress spider out into other diseases such as overeating, obesity, and thyroid dysfunction, which, in turn, lead to further problems. These lifestyle diseases are especially prevalent in top-level executives who take on longer work hours in an attempt to stay ahead in their competitive industry.
“Anyone can boost energy, engagement and performance by being in better shape,” says London based Health and Wellness and corporate longevity expert Tim Bean. In his experience, healthy leaders are less stressed, live longer and perform better, this positivity translates to their teams and by extension, to the success of their companies.
If we treated our machinery, or our business’s, like we treat the human body, there would be more regular breakdowns and bankruptcies…
The work of leadership or business ownership is stressful and demanding and having the energy to support these demands requires being fit and healthy as a base criteria.
What is the cost to a company and to an economy when a key component fails? When a machine breaks? What is the cost when an accident happens? How many people are crumbling and what is the true cost to not only lives but to the economy?
Companies who spend time and shareholders money to select and develop senior leaders and teams have a right to expect their key people to be in the best possible health for that position.
Having an unhealthy leader can also create instability and uncertainty within an organization.
It’s about trust and risk, and it is about becoming conscious of your body as a vital business tool.
In other words, at one level, possessing great health is your most important asset, as it becomes more valuable to you as you age.
At another level, being in great shape, with abundant vigor and energy, allows you to be more focus-driven and operate in business at a higher level than your counterparts and adversaries, giving you greater career longevity, earning capacity and even greater life expectancy… !
A study by Towers Watson and the National Business Group on Health shows that organizations with highly effective wellness programs report significantly lower voluntary attrition than those whose programs have low effectiveness (9% vs. 15%.)
Statistics reported by the Corporate Wellness Conference state that wellness programs encourage employees miss fewer days, feel like they have more energy to be productive and persuades them to work harder.
Speakers like Tim Bean promote the protection of your ‘Cerebral Capital™’ – staying energised, sharp and agile are key components to your survival in the industry.This would be your greatest advantage in today’s competitive world, “anything that happens from the neck up, depends on everything you do from the neck down.”