New health and wellness program focuses on family

The health and wellness of family members, spouses, children and even extended family members has a direct impact on the health and productivity of all workers at the Laboratory, explained Jessica Kisiel of Occupational Medicine (HSR-2). With this in mind, the Laboratory's Health Promotion Program is sponsoring a month-long program called "Family Health Matters."

"The program encourages Laboratory workers to commit to helping family members improve their health through increased fitness, improved eating habits, attention to nutrition, learning and practicing safety and self-care skills," said Kisiel.

"Spouse and child health affects their own health and productivity," Kisiel said, referring to Laboratory workers. "Care givers suffer too. With this program we're trying to broaden our approach to health and wellness."

Each week, Laboratory workers and their family members focus on one aspect of improved family health, such as nutrition. Family members set individual and collective health goals and document them in a program booklet they will receive when registering for the program.

At the end of each week, participants will be asked to set long-term commitments to improving their health. At the end of the program, they also will be asked to write a family portrait, which summarizes the family members' progress toward family health.

The first week of the program focuses on fitness. Week two of the program — it continues through the week of Aug. 5 — focuses on nutrition. Week three focuses on safety, and the last week focuses on self-care.

Kisiel noted that Family Health Matters isn't just for the traditional family but is open to all Lab workers, including individuals, couples and friends who want to support each other.

Laboratory personnel interested in participating in this special health and wellness program can register at the Wellness Center or by going to http://drambuie.lanl.gov/%7Ewellness/svc/classes/olreg.htm online. Personnel who register and complete a weekly survey are eligible for weekly prize drawings, and a $100 gift certificate to Big 5 Sporting Goods in Santa Fe will be given away at the end of the program.

For more information, go to http://int.lanl.gov/worklife/health/family.shtml online, or contact Kisiel at 5-4368 or write to jkisiel@lanl.gov by electronic mail. To read an all employee memo, click here.

-- Steve Sandoval

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