Getting a Healthy Heart at Work

(CBS)  Can your workplace make you healthier?

The answer is apparently yes.

In the second part of "The Early Show"'s three-part "Healthy Hearts" series, "The Early Show" took a look at the American Heart Association's (AHA) list of fit-friendly companies with a physical activity programs. These companies saw a reduced short-term sick leave up to 32 percent and saw an increase of employee productivity up to 52 percent. The AHA annually tracks "fit-friendly" companies in America. This year, more than 1,200 companies made the grade.

One of those companies is Festival Foods in Wisconsin, a 12-store grocery chain. Over 650 of their employees signed up, with 417 people completing the challenge. In all, the company lost over two tons.

CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton added these programs are "smart for the body, smart for the mind, smart for the pocketbook."

To hear how the program worked out at Festival Foods, click on the video below. Three employees shared their stories on "The Early Show": Lynn Vandenboom, a pricing coordinator who lost 60 lbs, Darrin Kuehn, a store director who lost 35 lbs, and Karen Trom, a program coordinator at Festival Foods' Green Bay, Wis. store location.

Click here for more information on the American Heart Association's Fit-Friendly companies.


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