Naturally Slim’s Healthy Lifestyles Course was developed in 1978 and has helped thousands of individuals get healthier and fitter. With over 30 years of experience, we know what works and doesn’t work and how to achieve better health for your employees. Our program has been written up in The Dallas Morning News, the National Enquirer, Cosmopolitan, Self Magazine, reported by NBC, and has received Congressional Recognition. Our program teaches healthier eating because then you will achieve improvements in weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, exercise ability, and blood sugar. Our course teaches individuals how to make easy lifestyle changes they can live with for a lifetime.
Naturally Slim’s Healthy Lifestyles Course is taught by Marcia Upson, who is a family nurse practitioner and the daughter of the founder. Marcia is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and received both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Texas Womans' University. Marcia helps her clients gain control of their health through knowledge. Her students consistently remark that they now possess a lifestyle of eating the foods they like while improving their health and losing weight.
The Total Person:
Weight Loss:
In the weight loss aspect of our course, 80% of participants have maintained their weight loss years later versus only 10% who have kept the weight off 2 years after other programs. Participants lose weight at a healthy pace of about 2.2 pounds a week.
Exercise and Fitness:
In a survey of 692 of our clients, 70% reported they needed to exercise more. After taking the Healthy Lifestyles Course, they observed a 50% improvement in their exercise. In the Garland Wellness Initiative, 27 of 30 employees utilized an exercise program after taking our course.
Stress Reduction:
Healthy Lifestyle’s own Vital Needs lessons teach individuals how to recognize stress and emotional triggers and avoid them. Of 692 participants, they reported a 65% improvement in stress and self confidence after learning our techniques.
Better Health:
We provide nurse practitioner taught health education. Want to know how to lower your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar? Our Garland clients recognize an average of 20 points drop in cholesterol, 10 points drop in blood pressure and many who were pre-diabetic returned to normal ranges.
How Does It Work?
Your company contracts with us to offer your employees the Healthy Lifestyles Program. We personally come to you and teach class one of seven classes or we send you the video to watch of week one. The participant receives a 150 page manual, audio CDs of the seven week course, a video about sugar consumption and diabetes, weekly emails, an Email Coach and 3 months access to online videos, message board, and health updates. We encourage weekly meetings for employees on their lunch hour.
Why is Wellness Instruction and Weight Reduction Needed?
- USA Today (6-27-05) reports that on average, treating an obese person in 2002 cost $1,244 dollars more than treating a healthy-weight person did. Private health insurance spending on illness related to obesity has increased more than tenfold since 1987.
- 65% of Americans are overweight.
- A 20 pound weight loss can be the equivalent to one hypertension or diabetes medication.
- Being overweight increases risk factors for cancer, diabetes, gall bladder disease, heart disease, hypertension, respiratory problems, high cholesterol, osteoarthritis, infertility, and gastro esophageal reflux.
- The increase in adult-onset diabetes contributed to a 64% rise in diabetes treatment from 1987 to 2002.
- For every one pound lost, it is 4 pounds less pressure on a joint.
- Obesity ages the body an average of 9 years.
- Healthcare costs are exceeding what employers can afford.