When Chris Martinez decided to take advantage of his employer's wellness program, he had no idea how much it would change his life.

Martinez, a senior deputy probation officer with Ventura County, decided it was time to lose some extra weight he'd put on, so he signed on with the county's wellness program and had a health appraisal, including blood tests.

The results showed he had very high blood sugar and needed to see a physician immediately.

"I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I had no idea," he said. The health appraisal "pretty much changed my life."

After he saw his doctor and began treatment, Martinez returned to the wellness program and met with a diabetes educator and coach who helped him develop a plan for managing his disease. With a new eating and exercise plan, he's dropped nearly 90 pounds since August. The program has had a positive effect on his health and family life, as well as on his work, Martinez said.

"I'm a different employee now," he said. "I definitely feel like I have much more energy."

That's one reason employer-sponsored wellness programs are gaining popularity. Wellness advocates say companies can save anywhere from $3 to $6 in healthcare costs for every $1 spent on wellness programs, because the programs reduce costs and increase productivity.

"There is a national movement by employers both large and small businesses are supporting wellness programs," said Leah Cox, director of the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness. "The economics is a driving factor. There's definitely a bottom-line draw toward these programs."

Getting the word out

Locally, a number of efforts are under way to expand wellness programs to more employers, including a new grant program to bring the "Five a Day" fruits and vegetables message to employees in low-wage industries, a recent seminar for employers to learn more about cutting healthcare costs through wellness programs, and an effort by Westlake Village-based Dole Food Co. to share its wellness "toolkit" with other employers. Dole was recognized as a California Fit Business by the Wellness Task Force in 2005.

Dole began a wellness program for its employees several years ago, altering its cafeteria and vending-machine options, adding fitness classes and encouraging others to make small lifestyle changes, such as using the stairs instead of the elevator.

"It's about changing behaviors and making people understand that it's easy to do it," said Marty Ordman, Dole's vice president for marketing and communications.

A healthy workplace is essential, wellness experts say, because adults spend so many of their waking hours on the job. If they don't get some exercise or eat fruits and vegetables at work, employees would need to spend much of their evening hours walking and eating in order to meet recommended daily requirements, according to the California Department of Health Services' California 5 a Day Be Active! Worksite Program.

Bilingual help provided

A $125,000 Be Active! Worksite grant from the Health Services agency will help bring that message to workers in low-wage industries such as nurseries and factories in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. The grant, overseen by Ventura County Public Health, will provide employers with posters and other information about healthy eating in both English and Spanish. Employers also can get advice on how to develop wellness policies and make simple changes to enhance employee health, said Shar Busch, coordinator of the local Be Active! program.

"We'll look at the vending machines they have in the cafeteria," she said. "Maybe they have meetings and bring doughnuts. We'll suggest an alternative. The goal is to create a supportive work environment."

Employers usually want to know what's in it for them, Busch said, and there is plenty: It's a free program, it's flexible, and most importantly, unhealthy employees are expensive for businesses.

Statewide, officials hope to reach 200 low-wage businesses by the end of the year.

Last month, the Ventura County Obesity Prevention Task Force's worksite wellness committee shared a similar message in a seminar with 45 area employers.

"The main message was that the costs of obesity are high, and employers shoulder some of those costs," said Susan Heller, chairwoman of the committee and manager of the county's wellness program. Lack of funding or staff time are often stumbling blocks, Heller said, so employers were advised to use existing resources and start with small changes, like starting a walking club.

State honors county efforts

The county program, which was started more than 20 years ago, has been recognized as one of California's best, with a 2006 Fit Business award from the state Workplace Wellness Task Force. The program serves about 3,000 county employees each year, Heller said.

Through the program, county employees can get a health appraisal, including blood testing to check cholesterol and glucose, and a personal evaluation to determine health and fitness goals. Health coaches work with them one on one to improve their eating and exercise habits. People with chronic diseases such as diabetes can get help managing their condition. Everything is voluntary, and employees' privacy is protected under federal patient privacy law.

Many classes are available always during the lunch hour so they don't interrupt work including yoga, healthy cooking, weight loss, cholesterol control and living with diabetes. Classes on personal and family issues, including parenting, elder care support groups, and pregnancy seminars for women are included in the wellness program.

"We've had a lot of success with people once we've identified what their risks are," Heller said. "Simple lifestyle changes can make a difference."

Yolanda Walker, an employee in the Sheriff's Department human resources office, gave the county program a try two years ago. The health appraisal and work with a health coach helped her find a diet that worked for her, and she lost nearly 20 pounds. The better eating and exercise habits brought other benefits, as well, Walker said.

"I noticed that I don't get as sick anymore," she said. "I can fight off a lot of viruses that are running around. I may get the sniffles, but I recover quickly."

On the Net:

Fit Business toolkit: http://www.wellnesstaskforce.org/fitbusiness/fitbusinesskit.html