Launch The Program

When you launch your obesity prevention program, it is important to ensure that participants are aware of the mission, goals, and objectives. You could also hold a festive kick-off party to generate enthusiasm among employees.¹⁸⁹

Plan Activity Kickoff

To prepare for your kickoff event, here are some practical tips–

• Select a date.
• Remember that it should be before the actual program starts to build momentum.
• Does not conflict with other corporate events.
• Select a location that is large enough to accommodate everyone. If you plan to hold the event outside, make sure to have a backup plan in case of rain.
• Make sure to include remarks by the director or a senior manager to demonstrate that there is support and involvement at the highest levels of the company.
• Consider including remarks from select employees (or even someone representing dependents) who will speak from their perspective.
• Serve healthy food and drink at the kickoff event to demonstrate obesity prevention activities from the beginning.
• Consider incorporating a brief physical activity at breaks during the event.
• Invite organizations like the American Heart Association or the American Dietetic Association to conduct health screenings (e.g., BMI, blood pressure, diabetes).
• If you can, provide incentive items such as t-shirts or water bottles to your attendees with the program logo.
• Consider having a "drawing" for prizes for those who attend the kickoff.
• Use balloons, banners, and other decorations to create a festive atmosphere.
• Have sign-up tables for different activities.

Use the sample Kickoff Agenda (DOC-36k) as a guide for your Kick-off event.

Maintain Interest and Motivation

It is important to maintain interest and enthusiasm among your employees over time. Tips to keep participation levels high–

• Check in on a regular basis with your employees so that you can continually target your program to their changing needs.
• Build obesity prevention components into organization policies in order to begin to build a culture of health within the organization. Use success stories from satisfied and successful program participants to justify this to senior management.¹⁹⁰
• Collect data and present it regularly in order to successfully position your program.
• Use general program information and program benefits to target communications to employees who are thinking about starting the program.
• Reach out to employees on a one-on-one basis to strengthen relationships and sustain involvement. Ask them to complete HRAs, offer health counseling services, or call participants who miss sessions to find out why and encourage them to attend.¹⁰³
• Offer employees different options for getting involved, including options for participants who are minimally involved and more intensive interventions for employees who are committed to action.
• Offer rewards or other incentives for continued participation over time.
• Continually tell and celebrate the success stories from the program.
• Manage your activities' goals and objectives by setting attainable goals for participants.¹⁹¹
• Have theme weeks or months to keep employees engaged in the program.
• Conduct awareness activities around national health observances such as National Diabetes Month (November) or Employee Health and Fitness Month (May).

Also in This Section

• Establish employee communication channels
• Plan the marketing strategy
• Determine incentives and rewards
• Expert Interview - David Anderson, PhD
• Expert Interview - George J. Pfeiffer

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