When people say that the best ideas are often the most simple, I often think they must be referring to Nilofer Merchant. Her TED Talk about walking meetings last year offered us one of the most profound yet straightforward corporate wellness solutions I've ever heard. (If you haven't yet viewed it, click here to watch.) 

You've heard the statistic over and over again: one-third of Americans can be classified as obese. While the ramifications of this data have been explored in terms of our children and our health care costs, we believe that the impact of this information on the workplace deserves extra attention. As a corporate wellness provider, we've seen first-hand that employers can make a difference in the health and lifestyles of their employees. If companies don't start to make this shift in the public consciousness, every employer in America will find themselves paying an even higher cost for workers with a high BMI. 

Last week, we had the pleasure of attending the 2014 Art & Science of Health Promotion Conference in Colorado Springs. Held at the beautiful Broadmoor hotel, the conference offered us a chance to discuss our new ideas in the field of health promotion and hear incredible presentations from the industry's thought leaders. 

Every employee wants to have that job where they wake up every morning and are eager to get to the office and start their day. With a few simple suggestions for boosting employee morale, you can create a positive work environment where employees are headed to work with a smile on their face. As a result, your staff will also be less stressed, more productive and looking forward to their future at your company.

1.) Celebrate. Whether it’s sending out happy birthday emails, having holiday potlucks or throwing a baby shower, take the time out to celebrate your employees’ milestones and achievements. These little moments of appreciation remind your coworkers that the office is truly a part of their lives.

Getting an entire staff to participate in your worksite wellness program is a struggle. You can throw a health fair, build a healthy cafeteria and enact a powerhouse incentives program, but the fact remains that in a typical workplace, it’s going to be almost impossible to get every single employee engaged. What if you could guarantee that every employee would participate in extra physical activity while at work? It’s easier than you think, thanks to a new trend called active design.

When it comes to worksite wellness program benefits, there are some companies that go the extra mile. While some may see scuba diving and smoothie bars as superfluous perks for employees, these seven businesses know that these extra benefits are what makes them some of the best companies to work for in the world.  As a result, they are able to have a higher retention rate, garner top talent and stay sharp in their competitive industries.

Have you ever wondered why people spend such an exorbitant sum of money on a simple cup of coffee each month? Is the coffee magical? Maybe for some, but Starbucks' success is really based on creating a personalized customer experience and energizing their employees to deliver superior customer service. For example, their employee handbook, called "The Green Apron," talks about connecting, discovering and responding as a way to bond with customers. Starbucks has some great lines from the book – including “Our Purpose: To provide an uplifting experience that enriches people’s daily lives.”

The debate over wellness ROI and whether corporate wellness programs "work" is heating up again after Rand researchers released an article in Health Affairs. This time it's PepsiCo's "Healthy Living" wellness program that is under the microscope.

With the growing popularity of worksite wellness programs, companies are rushing to develop new technologies and programs to roll out. At last count, there were over 500 wellness vendors. With that many vendors, it probably comes as no surprise to you, that reviewing and selecting the right vendor can be a very daunting task.

Employers are increasingly integrating outcome-based incentives into wellness programs. Outcome-based incentives differ from activity-based incentives in that they reward individuals based on actual results, such as reducing blood pressure levels, rather than incenting based solely on activities completed, such as participating in a monthly physical activity challenge.