Research Plus

Workplace wellness guidelines

Implementation of a draft Dutch OH guideline aimed at ‘preventing weight gain by improving employees’ physical activity and healthy dietary behaviour’ produced only limited health benefits, according to this randomised control trial involving 470 workers in the Netherlands. Participants with poor nutrition, poor physical activity and/or being overweight, were given usual-care (health appraisal and advice) or guideline-based care, which included counselling, goal setting, a monitoring and advice toolkit, and addressing barriers to implementation. At six months, intervention participants were significantly more likely to eat more fruit and have reduced sedentary behaviour at work. There was no impact on snack intake, physical activity, body weight, waist circumference, or body mass index.

Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2012; online first: 10.1136/oemed-2011-100377.

Tags evidence based practice wellbeing

Occupational Health at Work April/May 2012 (vol. 08/6) pp48