Index

INTRODUCTION

USEFUL LINKS

NEWSLETTER

FACT SHEETS

CONTEXT

The health assessment program conducted by Miller Health is based on the premise that the health of key body systems depends on

•      physical fitness

•      diet

•      an ability to manage the stress of both life and work and

•      avoidance of a toxic environment.

Within the Australian community, there is currently an epidemic of body system dysfunctions which when translated into the workplace are associated with increased absenteeism and workers compensation, and decreased work performance and productivity.

There are three principal categories of dysfunction,

▪ metabolic

▪ musculo-skeletal

▪ psychological.

These dysfunctions are recognised by their symptoms

There are very few people and even fewer organisations that are not affected by this epidemic.

At the same time as workplace incidents causing injury have declined, the incidents of personal body system dysfunctions has increased.

Because these dysfunctions are personally generated it is imperative that organisations put up a firewall between dysfunctions and injuries and move heaven and earth to prevent the dysfunctions from being treated as compensatable injuries. For staff and organisation alike, it's better to deal with small problems rather than allowing them to become large problems.

In this day and age, organisations with high levels of absenteeism, presenteeism and workers compensation premiums are not adequately managing the dysfunctions.

You can't solve a 21st Century problem with a 19th Century solution.

It's time for an new OH&S model.

THE ASSESSMENTS

The assessments take an holistic look at health, based on the premise that the major systems of the body maintain healthy function when they are supported by 

HEALTH PROFILES

The Health, Fitness and Wellbeing profile is used as a way of obtaining a snap shot of people’s health, fitness and stress levels. In the workplace it is also a good measure of the risk of absenteeism, presenteeism and workers’ compensation.

People in poor physical condition experience

•      headaches

•      poor sleep

•      lack of energy and vitality

•      musculo-skeletal dysfunction

•      frequent colds and flu

•      obesity

•      anxiety ...

Click here to view the standards for each of the profiles.

The aging population

I believe (barring disability) there is little stopping most people of working age from being in exceptionally good physical condition – except lack of training. It's not so much that we have an aging population but a sedentary population.

Theoretically, as people get older they should be able to maintain a high level of fitness – they’ve had longer to train!

If you want to know what a decent fitness program is click here.

The Governments of Australia base their medical system data on the fact that as people get older they become more dysfunctional. It's a poorly researched premise. What's actually happening is that people are getting older younger! They're unfit and unhealthy.

Medical researchers base their studies on the double-blind method, (medication versus placebo) instead of the quadruple  blind method

1.  medication

2.  placebo

3.  doing nothing and

4.  a serious exercise, diet, relaxation and wellbeing, program).

For the metabolic dysfunctions, the medication masks the symptoms. It does not restore poor function to good. It does not stimulate recuperative power.

As a general rule, poor health and body system dysfunction is not so much related to age as it is to

•      low levels of physical activity

•      junk food diets

•      over-consumption of alcohol

•      smoking

•      an inability to handle the normal stresses of life

•      a job that doesn't suit their personality, intelligence strengths or interests

•      an over-reliance on junk medicine - medicine that is pharmaceutically based and

       which masks symptoms and fails to halt the degeneration.

HEALTH, FITNESS AND WELLBEING PROFILE

The Mind and Body profile provides people with a very good idea of how well the various systems of the body are functioning, particularly the

•      the mind

•      autonomic nervous system

•      immune system

•      digestive system

•      circulatory system

•      elimination system

•      musculo-skeletal system.

How well people score on the Mind and Body profile provides them with a good indication of how fit and healthy they really are.

I read somewhere that we don't see full blown body system dysfunction until the particular system is 70% dysfunctional. What the Health, Fitness and Wellbeing profile does is pick up the dysfunctions at an early stage - (you know something's wrong and you feel dreadful but you can't put your finger on the particular system that's causing it.

But it doesn't matter that you don't know the precise system involved. What you are aware of is that one or more of your systems isn't working at full pitch. There is something wrong with the whole ecosystem.

The good news is that you can restore poor function to normal healthy function by getting fitter, eating wisely, meditating, getting the job you'd love to do ...) Very few people became fitter and healthier in a surgery or a pharmacy!

Being vigorously physically active on a regular and systematic basis is the most powerful symbol of your ability to give back to your Self. On top of that it protects the body from a wide range of dysfunctions and contributes to an enhancement of the body's own recuperative powers.

There is an epidemic of body system dysfunction in our community and it is certainly not caused by a lack of Panadol, Avpro, Diabex, Lipitor, Ventolin, Milantin, Celebrex, Valium, Zoloft, Viagra or Anusol!

The mind/body relationship

The body is an ecosystem of which the mind is an integral part. Major body systems are frequently negatively affected by stress generated in the mind. The body is incapable of dishonesty!

On the other hand, the mind is effected by the healthy working order of other body systems. Certainly it is positively affected by vigorous, physical activity, and Hourglass diet, meditation and a low-toxic environment.

People who are physically fit are less likely to become depressed. They are also more likely to have a strong immune system and an autonomic nervous system that is balanced and healthy in its management of key physiological responses. They are healthy and happy. They have normal blood pressure, they sleep like logs, are about their ideal weighty, rarely, if ever get a headache and don't have a crook back.

As your fitness level improves you can be certain that your score on the Health, Fitness and Wellbeing profile will also. 

RECOMMENDATIONS

See the generic list of recommendations that cover all our profiles.