U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

HealthierFeds Initiative

HealthierFeds provides information and education to Federal employees and retirees about healthy living, greater individual responsibility for personal health, and best-treatment strategies. Through this initiative, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is working with Federal agency fitness and wellness leaders to promote healthy behavior decisions among Federal employees.

HealthierFeds fully supports President Bush's HealthierUS initiative for a healthier America. The "Four Pillars," or key elements, of this initiative are:

• Be physically active every day;
• Eat a nutritious diet;
• Get preventive screenings;
• Make healthy choices.

As envisioned by HealthierFeds, effective worksite health promotion programs in Federal workplaces have the potential to influence a number of important factors:

• Reduce increases in health care costs;
• Enhance employee productivity;
• Shift health care from a "treatment" paradigm;
• Reduce absenteeism and presenteeism;
• Help employees take responsibility for lifestyle choices.

Elements of the HealthierFeds initiative include:

• Information disseminated through this, the HealthierFeds website;
• The HealthierFeds Fitness Challenge;
• 2007: The Year of the HealthierFed;
• Ongoing consultation and support for Federal agency health and wellness programs;
• Training for Federal agency health and wellness coordinators.

For further information about HealthierFeds contact the OPM Work/Life group, worklife@opm.gov.