The Office of Personnel Management's HealthierFeds initiative (http://www.opm.gov/healthierfeds/) emphasizes educating the Federal family about healthy living and best-treatment strategies. HealthierFeds fully supports President Bush's HealthierUS initiative (http://HealthierUS.gov) for a healthier America, helping Americans live longer, better, and healthier lives by encouraging daily physical activity, nutritious eating habits, preventive health screenings, and making healthy choices.
Nutrition is one of the four pillars of HealthierFeds and awareness and education are among the guiding principles. September is set aside each year as 5 A Day Month to highlight the importance of increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables by all Americans. 5 A Day Month is sponsored by the5 A Day for Better Health Program, a national public/private partnership initiative promoting awareness of the importance of eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables every day for better health. Fruits and vegetables are part of a well-balanced and healthy eating plan. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases as well as help with weight control.
Resources supporting 5 A Day Month are available through the 5 A Day websites (http://www.cdc.gov/5aday and http://www.5aday.gov), which offer comprehensive information regarding the benefits of improved nutritional choices. Additional resources for 5 A Day Month can be requested through the contact information on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 5 A Day website. Federal agencies can help disseminate this and other important nutritional information by encouraging Federal employees and their families to visit the 5 A Day websites and including references to these websites in agency health and wellness materials and communications to employees. Additionally, under 5 U.S.C. ยง7901, Federal agencies can use appropriated funds to establish employee health programs that promote and maintain the physical and mental fitness of employees.
By choosing to actively promote the 5 A Day for Better Health Program and similar initiatives, agencies can play a pivotal role in improving the health of our Federal family. Potential long term benefits include reductions in rising health care costs, decreased absenteeism, healthier and more productive employees, and an overall improved sense of well being among the Federal workforce.
cc: Human Resources Directors