It Does a Body Good

The refrigerator is a relic, a dinosaur in the modern age of smart appliances with “must have” features like voice controls and internal cameras. Some fridges today even keep track of inventory and offer recipe suggestions based on what’s left on the shelves. (Wouldn’t it be easy enough to open it to find out for yourself?)

My mom’s 1949 refrigerator is still going strong without the bells and whistles. Its sheer simplicity, consistency, and endurance struck me on a weekend when I was helping her pack to move. Here is this antique that runs without a sputter. Maintenance is basic. There aren’t complex digitized elements that will fail and require a costly service visit and hard-to-access parts.

The revolutionary technology this Frigidaire introduced was ice cube trays and a freezer so you wouldn’t have to order a block of ice to be delivered. “Always plenty of ice cubes,” read an advertisement I found. Now, you can purchase a double-drawer freezer that makes ice in different configurations like fancy melon-ball shapes.

This is a basic fridge and it’s still healthy.

The more I thought about this, I realized there are many parallels between the 1949 Frigidaire and the way we care for our health, along with staggering outcomes despite cutting-edge drugs, procedures, and a consumer products industry loaded with foods and supplements that promise shortcuts to achieving wellness and longevity.

If this were true, why do 38.4 million U.S. individuals have diabetes? This is the latest count from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Diabetes Statistics Report. Among those ages 65 and older, 29.2% of the population has been diagnosed with diabetes.

Look at another common condition: hypertension, which affects 47% of U.S. adults, according to the American Heart Association.

We have more technology, data, and “solutions” for health than ever before, but does reducing sick visits or trips to the urgent care really require complex, external inputs?

I’d say, looking at mom’s fridge, the answer is a definite no.

As for taking inventory of what’s in the fridge, let’s rewind to what foods might be stored in that 1940s appliance compared to what we’re keeping cool today. Back then, there were few processed foods, artificial sweeteners, and fat-free packaged items. Forget frozen dinners. (Remember, we’re just now making ice at home.) Fresh poultry, meat and seafood, fruits and vegetables, and milk were household staples. Rather than reaching for a power bar, hand-held snacks consisted of choices like an apple or banana.

These are still choices. But in our rush-hour lives with meals on the run, we have so many other options that are easier and “foods” that might seem better: low-carb, low-fat, energy-enhancing and so on. But really, going back to the basics of eating right, exercising, and getting the right amount of sleep is what really moves the needle on our health.

Consider the advertisement’s message, “always plenty of ice cubes.” It’s basic and to the point, much like the old milk slogan, “It does a body good.”

The ad introducing revolutionary ice cube trays and a freezer to make ice at home could have packed in a bunch of jargon or puffery about the chilling system. Nope. “Cold, refreshing, ready any time with Frigidaire,” is all customers needed to know.

Are we overcomplicating what it takes to stay healthy?

As employers, maybe our “advertisement” needs to be simpler and back to the basics. Eat well, stay well. More steps, more energy. Better sleep, better health.

In our dynamic, high-stress and fast-paced world, maybe our employees would find peace of mind that there’s no complex science to staying healthy at the end of the day.

If we break down personal health to our core everyday functions—eating, sleeping and moving—and aim to do better in each of these categories, we can gradually improve health outcomes. There is no quick fix. Following through requires commitment and encouragement.

That’s where you come in as an employer connected with Health Action Council’s resources such as the Step It Up Challenge and Healthy Kids program. Find opportunities to engage your people in new, simple, healthy habits like holding a walking meeting to discuss a new project rather than sitting in a conference room.

Tell us how you and your team get back to the basics and how simplifying health is making an impact at home and work. We look forward to hearing from you.

About Health Action Council 
Health Action Council is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization representing mid-and large-size employers that enhance human and economic health through thought leadership, innovative services, and collaboration. It provides value to its members by facilitating projects that improve the quality and moderate the cost of healthcare purchased by its members for their employees, dependents, and retirees. Health Action Council also collaborates with key stakeholders – health plans, physicians, hospitals, and the pharmaceutical industry – to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare in the community.