Getting healthy while you work

Managing your health is important whether you're at home or at work. Meet one Rockwell Collins employee in Melbourne, Fla., who took advantage of an on-site weight loss program to improve his lifestyle.

By Anne Wiskerchen

Neil Durette made up his mind four years ago that his weight would no longer control his life. A senior product integrity specialist at Rockwell Collins in Melbourne, Fla., Durette made a New Year's resolution in December 2003 to lose weight. And this time, he was sticking to it.

Soon after he began the South Beach diet in January 2004, Durette dropped 14 pounds. But the extra motivation he needed came at work when an on-site weight loss program at our facility in Melbourne caught his attention.

"I weighed 255 pounds and was on three blood pressure-related medications," recalled Durette. "It was obvious something needed to change, and I thought that joining my co-workers would provide the support I needed."

After persuading one of his colleagues to begin the weight loss venture with him, Durette began abiding by several new techniques learned during his weekly meetings.

"The program I was involved in was designed to have participants talk about the challenges and issues they are facing," he said. "But it also was nice to have someone I knew to share strategies with."

It didn't take long for Durette to realize that his weight loss journey was a lot like the Lean Electronics process at Rockwell Collins. An initiative that works to reduce waste and increase efficiency in processes and offices across our enterprise, Lean Electronics aims to remove steps and practices that don't add value to the end product.

Not only did Durette learn about healthy eating habits during his weekly sessions, he also learned about the importance of exercise, and increased the miles he biked to 10 to 15 miles, two to three times a week.

Within the first five months, Durette lost 64 pounds and was living a lean lifestyle by all definitions of the word.

"Soon, eating right and exercising more became second nature," he said.

Introducing wellness resources

Durette found the motivation to adopt a healthier lifestyle by taking advantage of a weight loss program held at his office. However, finding a strategy that matches your life-work needs in today's fast-paced world is no simple task.

This year, Rockwell Collins will enhance our Value Proposition for People philosophy to help you address life's challenges through a comprehensive offering of resources and services.

Our new wellness program, an enhancement to the "My Health While Working" component of Flexible Benefit Choices, will offer tools to manage existing health issues and prevent future illnesses.

Starting in 2008, the development of similar programs to meet the needs of our international locations will begin.

"Health has an effect on our well-being, our productivity and our longevity," said Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Clay Jones. "Our focus on wellness will help minimize health risk factors and maximize healthy enjoyment of life."

The program also will help our company and our employees manage health care costs while enabling our employees to become healthier and more productive. For example, annual health care costs are 49 percent lower for people who don't smoke, who aren't obese and who exercise three times a week.

Additionally, health issues like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes can require additional monitoring and cost patients money to manage. The Department of Health and Human Services reports that as of 2005, the United States spent more on health per capita then any other country, and health spending continues to rise rapidly.

"The goal is to help employees feel better, enjoy life and save money for the things that are important to each of us," said Jones. "If we aren't spending money on health care, it's going to be available to us for other things, including recreation and retirement."

A healthy future

For Durette, there's no going back. Now a lifetime member of the weight-loss group he joined in January 2004, his decrease in weight has brought him energy and opportunities once beyond his imagination.

Outside of work, he serves as the executive officer and training officer of the Courageous Division of U.S. Navy Sea Cadet Corps, where he uses his new found energy to keep up with active students ranging in age from 11 to 18 years old.

"We are active in swimming, scuba diving and sailing activities," Durette said. "I could never have participated in those activities before I lost the weight."

He also tries to inspire his cadets by giving advice on being healthy and keeping active. Even his doctor was amazed at his progress, taking him from three medications to one.

"My doctor wished all his patients were like me," Durette said. "My cholesterol was 190 when I started and now it's down to 140."

According to Durette, adopting a healthier lifestyle has helped put extra dollars in his pocket. After the first three months on only one medication, the savings offset the cost of his membership to the weight loss program and paid for yoga lessons.

He also has amazed and inspired his friends and coworkers. From January 2004 until June 2005, the weight loss group Durette took part in lost more than 1,400 pounds. In June 2006, a new program began and the group has already lost more than 350 pounds.

"Taking care of yourself and managing your health are among the greatest responsibilities you have," said Durette, who advocates getting involved in wellness activities at work. "Today, I feel like there is no limit to what I can achieve or do. I am exploring new horizons and am leading a longer, much more satisfying life."

Photos on this page are by Kristen Bartlett.