Monthly Archives: November 2017

Healthy Vending Machine Choices

Healthy Vending Machine Options in New York City Can Boost Productivity

Healthy Vending Machine Choices in New York City

Corporate wellness programs including those that offer healthy vending machine options can have a positive impact on both an employee’s health and on the company’s productivity, but only if the wellness program is implemented carefully.

A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, UCLA, and Washington University in St. Louis found that wellness program participation “improved average worker productivity by over 4 percent” which is roughly equivalent “to adding one additional day of productive work per month for each employee” (Gubler, Larkin, & Pierce,2017, p. 2). Taken one step further, researchers determined that by using diet and exercise, sick and healthy employees increased their productivity by 10 percent.  

There are, however, several important caveats to consider.

  • Participation must be voluntary. Researchers found that when participation was required or strongly suggested through social or financial pressure, the participants reacted negatively. Participants perceived the company to be overstepping its bounds and interfering in their health and lifestyle choices.
  • Participants must believe in the program’s merits and safety. Highlighting the differences between the reality of the program versus its perceptions will help employees trust that their health data will remain private and will not be used for employment-related purposes.
  • Long-term productivity gains are unlikely to be sustainable through single or short-term interventions. Employers must consider multiple or long-term wellness support for employees if increased productivity is to be sustainable.

Wellness programs or interventions can occur in many different forms from fitness activities to healthy food choices in the office break room vending machine. The best choices for your specific organization will likely vary from the organization next door. Ask your New York City employees for their opinions and preferences. To start the conversation, consider a few of the following options.

Healthy Vending Machine Choices in New York City
Fitness
  • encourage public transportation, walking or biking—arrange for bike racks and provide “bike to work” promotional materials
  • encourage stairwell use by strategically placing posters with information about the physical benefits of using stairs
  • offer corporate discounts for health club memberships or offer an on-site fitness facility
  • coordinate and market running and walking groups and other monthly and weekly fitness challenges
Corporate Culture
  • Turn sit-down meetings into walking meetings
  • bring in items that will encourage folks to take a break and rejuvenate such as scooters, game rooms, footballs, and hula hoops
  • incorporate plants and other greenery around the office
  • offer a quiet spot to take a nap
Food Choices
  • offer healthy snack and beverage vending machine choices in the office break room— don’t forget to include non-dairy milk options for those who are vegan or are dairy intolerant
  • offer free or reduced cost refreshments for employees—it’s a great morale booster
  • throw a monthly healthy potluck
  • coordinate with a community supported agriculture (CSA) for local fruit and vegetable deliveries to the office  and/or find local farmers markets

Whether you are looking to offer free or subsidized snack and beverage choices or add a new vending machine to your office break room, Healthy Vending can help. We offer a wide variety of products and services that can help boost your employees’ wellness and productivity. Call us at 917.572.3671 for more information.  

Reference:

Gubler, T., Larkin, I., and Pierce, L. (June 28, 2017). Doing Well by Making Well: The Impact of Corporate Wellness Programs on Employee Productivity. Forthcoming, Management Science. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2811785

healthy beverage vending machines in New York City

New York City Consumers Enjoy Beverages with Less Sugar

Healthy Vending Machine Beverages in New York City

What are your go-to beverages? Have your preferences changed over the past few years to include choices with less sugar? If so, you aren’t alone. Recent research has shown that consumers have the same concerns when it comes to choosing a beverage from the office break room vending machine as they do when choosing a snack.

Consumers are looking for variety, simpler labels, and more functional ingredients. There is, however, one more factor that is a bit more important when it comes to choosing both snacks and beverages—balancing sugar and calorie consumption.

And, it appears that New York City consumers are aware of its importance as soda consumption has declined for the 12th straight year. Smaller containers, an increase in prices for consumers, and in some cities such as Berkeley, CA and Philadelphia, a soda tax have also played a role in decreasing overall consumption. And that’s a good thing.

Consuming too much sugar can be damaging to different parts of the body. A diet high in added sugar can increase the risk for developing type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, even in individuals at a healthy weight, as well as cause weight gain and cavities. Empty calories from sugar often end up excluding healthier food choices, and opening the door for a deficiency in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Sugar has also been found to negatively impact one’s mood, dopamine levels, and increase inflammation especially in one’s joints and skin.

A decrease in one’s quality of health isn’t the only cost. According to Anna Lappé and Christina Bronsing-Lazalde at The New York Times,”Nationally, we spent $245 billion on diabetes medical costs in 2012. By 2030 we could be spending as much as $818 billion on the direct medical costs of heart disease.”  

Healthy Vending Machine Beverages in New York City

To avoid consuming too much processed sugar, the American Heart Association recommends “that women consume less than 100 calories of added sugar per day (about 6 teaspoons) and men consume less than 150 per day (about 9 teaspoons).” Some processed sugars are easily recognizable such as those in cakes, cookies, and pies, but there are a number of processed sugars in unsuspecting products that are much harder to find. They include corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, malt sugar, maple sugar, molasses, and sugar molecules ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose).

One way to help New York City employee’s decrease the amount of processed sugar consumed while at work is to offer beverages that contain little to no processed sugar in the office break room. Plain and naturally-flavored sparkling water, fruit-infused and plain non-carbonated water, and unsweetened teas are just a few of the many choices available. Not only will you be offering your employees a refreshing beverage, but you will be helping them to live a healthier life. And healthy employees have fewer sick days and are more productive.

That sounds like a win for everyone. To learn more about adding healthy beverage and snack options to your New York City office break room vending machines, call Healthy Vending at 917.572.3671. We would be happy to help you make the switch.