Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   This Thursday, November 19, the nation will celebrate the 34th annual Great American Smokeout, sponsored by our partner in tobacco cessation, the American Cancer Society (ACS). Check out this endorsement from Dear Abby's Abigail Van Buren, who posted a letter from Dr. Alan G. Thorson, National Volunteer President of the ACS, in response to a request from "Desperate" in Arlington, Texas.

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   Today’s environment makes it extremely easy to neglect physical activity, an essential element of maintaining good health, warding off chronic disease, and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Labor-saving technology, long commutes by car or bus, and hours spent on the computer for both work and play drain us of our energy and make it even harder to fit time in our busy schedules to get up and move. In Free & Clear's latest Clear Insights... [More]

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   Yesterday, The Washington Post ran excerpts from an interview with former FDA commissioner, David Kessler, who spoke about America’s obesity crisis and the need for a complete restructuring of the way we approach the problem: “…we have to change the way we look at food. Not how we look at fat people, not whether we want to be thin or not, but how we look at food. If you look at that lemon cake and say, ‘This is my friend,’ then there’s nothing I... [More]

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   In our modern environment, it's not hard to be stressed. Around the country, people are dealing with financial crises and job insecurity, which breed fear, uncertainty, and higher levels of stress, both in the home and the workplace. This can mean a severe drop in employee morale, health and productivity -- which puts your organization in its own financial crisis. A recent Gallup Poll concluded that while 80% of workers admit that they are stres... [More]

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   Most employees consume a significant portion of their daily nutrition away from home. This isn't surprising, considering the fact that employees spend the majority of time in their worksite environments. Unfortunately, employers don't often make things any easier on their workforce. Worksite environments are often minefields for people who are trying to make healthy decisions: vending machines are filled with sugary, salty snacks; cafeteria menus are ... [More]

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   “A cookie would go great with your beverage.” The sticker stares up at me from the lid of the soy latte I just purchased at the Barnes & Noble café. This is added to the fact that the barista just asked me if I would like a warm chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven. It is 9:00pm on a Friday night and I already had a mini ice cream sandwich after dinner. In no way do I need a cookie. But the barista didn’t ask me if I needed a cookie. She ... [More]

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   Next week, thought leaders in the tobacco cessation industry will gather together in Mumbai, India for the 14th annual World Conference on Tobacco or Health. Free & Clear's very own Ken Wassum, Senior Product Manager, Tobacco, and Tim McAfee, Chief Medical Officer, will be joining the many voices discussing new strategies for global tobacco control. The agenda includes presentations on and discussions about youth tobacco prevention, tobacco-free... [More]

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   For over 35 years, Paychex has helped millions of business owners with payroll, human resources and benefit outsourcing solutions and is recognized as a top national provider for these services. Part of their ongoing success can be attributed to the investment they make in the health of their employees. Implementing a comprehensive tobacco cessation program has played a major part in their robust wellness initiative. In Free & Clear’s latest Cle... [More]

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   Yesterday I learned that if I download the “Whopper Sacrifice” Facebook application and delete 10 friends from my account, I will receive a free Burger King Whopper. Salivating, I mentally reviewed my friend list: who will I ax first? Do I sacrifice the outliers and use the promotion as a reason to trim my inflated friend count? Do I sacrifice friends who need a good laugh? The Facebook-obsessed? The vegetarians? Then I stopped mid-review:... [More]

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   Now you can get a tweet every time we update the blog, post a press release or find an interesting article we think you might like. Follow us: @freeclear. Remember that you can always subscribe to the blog here. Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays from the Free & Clear team.