Case Studies & Testimonials

“Walking the Walk”: How total wel-being increased physical activity at Nelnet

Featured Customer:

Nelnet Inc. is one of the leading education planning and financing companies in the United States, providing a comprehensive suite of products and services to educationseeking families as well as operational products and services to the institutions that serve them.

The company is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, and has over 2,200 employees in 17 different locations.

Challenge:
Like at any company, the employees at Nelnet face various health risks. In 2007, of those participating in an annual health risk assessment, 61% had high blood pressure, 62% were overweight, 27% had high cholesterol, and 19% used tobacco. These health risks were not only weighing on the employees, but they were causing Nelnet to pay high health care costs for employee treatment. Seeing the rising costs of health care, Nelnet wanted to be proactive in minimizing health care costs while still providing high-quality health care to Nelnet’s 2,200 employees.

"Total Well-Being has helped us reduce our medical risks and health care costs and has improved productivity and engagement. The latest partnership they created with Shape Up The Nation was great! I usually exercise two to three times per week, but during Shape Up The Nation, I was up to six days per week. The team competition and the ease of the Web site tracking kept me motivated throughout the 12-week program and even after the program was complete. It changed everything for me."

Mike Dunlap CEO, Nelnet Inc.

Solution:
One of the top areas Nelnet focused on for 2008 was weight management—of the 62% at risk, 74% were ready to change. Total Well-Being President and founder Colleen Reilly recalls, “This helped tremendously with resource allocation. We knew we had a lot of folks at risk and they were ready to take action.”

To promote weight loss, Total Well-Being partnered with Shape Up The Nation, a team-based exercise, weight loss, and walking competition for employees of all fitness levels. Using Shape Up The Nation, Nelnet employees worked together to increase physical activity and lose weight, supporting and motivating each other as they set goals and worked hard to achieve them. Additionally, participants were able to track their weight loss, exercise hours, and pedometer steps. This ensured that there was something appealing for employees of all fitness levels and that participants were focusing on a comprehensive lifestyle change.

Outcome:
Simply put, Shape Up the Nation’s team structure was a hit—more than half of Nelnet’s employees enrolled. On average, each person who completed the 12-week program walked 8,008 steps per day, exercised 44 minutes per day, and lost 5.7 pounds.

Total Well-Being and Shape Up The Nation were able to do more than simply lower Nelnet’s health care costs. They had a very real impact on each and every participating employee, educating them on how to live a healthier lifestyle and providing all the motivation and tools they needed to make the change. Here are just a few examples of how this program helped Nelnet’s employees on a personal level.

"I am 42 pounds lighter since January of this year. Much of the weight loss is due to an increase in exercise, particularly keeping track of the steps I take with my pedometer. This is a great program."

"Feeling responsible to the team really helped me push through the days that I didn’t want to work out very hard. I felt like I had a duty to them, and in turn, realized that I ultimately have a duty to myself to be as healthy as I can be."

"I lost 24 pounds, going from almost 212 lbs to around 188 lbs while my body fat percentage went from 28% to around 14% now. I am definitely more conscious about my activity level and calorie intake, and how they are directly related. I think this is a great program, and more people should get involved!"

Participation and Retention

Performance Data

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  • PhysicalPhysical
    • Educating your employees about their health risks and health care options will empower them to make small but effective changes in their lifestyles. These simple changes will decrease their risk factors while increasing their personal satisfaction and productivity—and dramatically lower your health care costs.
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  • FinancialFinancial
    • By focusing on employee financial wellness, you can ensure your employees make smart decisions to build financial security now and for their futures. Your employees will have access to supportive resources on 401(k) savings, health savings accounts, employee stock ownership opportunities, and personal finance courses.
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  • PersonalPersonal
    • Develop healthy, well-rested employees by helping them find the proper balance between work and home life. We provide your employees with a trusted, comprehensive Employee Assistance Program and help you implement effective incentive strategies for Earned Time Off/Paid Time Off benefits based on your employees’ needs.
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  • ProfessionalProfessional
    • Engaged and dedicated employees are essential for meeting your business goals efficiently. Total Well-Being provides you with effective professional development resources, to increase employee engagement and ensure your employees are motivated to secure the success of your company.
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