For Immediate Release
May 7, 2007

Ferguson signs on to Start! Peninsula
Revolutionary walking movement gains new sponsor, and momentum

NEWPORT NEWS, VA (May 4, 2007)  – Ferguson will join Riverside Health System as presenting sponsors of Start! Peninsula, which launched in January nationwide.  Ferguson announced it’s sponsorship at a CEO Breakfast April 25, Start! Walking at Work Day, and is already reaching out to area companies to get them Start!ed.

The numbers are alarming. Since 1990, the prevalence of obesity has increased by 154 percent in Virginia. Fifty-nine  percent of Virginia adults (4.46 million) are overweight or obese. In 2003, direct obesity health care costs in Virginia totaled more than $1.6 billion. The American Heart Association wants to reduce these numbers through a new national movement – Start!

Start! is a groundbreaking new national movement from the American Heart Association. It calls on all Americans and their employers to create a culture of physical activity and health to live longer, heart-healthy lives through walking.  Start! recognizes and rewards companies for progressive leadership and for making the health and wellness of their staff a priority.  It also encourages other companies to participate and demonstrate similar physical activity practices for their employees.

Adult Americans spend a majority of their waking hours at work, and many are in sedentary careers.  This raises their risk for a host of medical problems, such as overweight, high blood pressure and diabetes. Obesity alone costs American businesses $12.7 billion per year in medical expenses and $225.8 billion in health-related productivity losses¹.  A program such as Start! that increases employees’ physical activity will improve their health — and their employers’ bottom line. Specifically, studies suggest that implementing a worksite physical activity program and promoting a culture of activity will help companies increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, lower turnover and reduce healthcare costs².

“We are thrilled to be part of this important movement to get the Peninsula workforce moving,” said Joe Witt, Treasurer at Ferguson. “We have made a number of changes here to get our employees active and eating well and enjoying it in the process; and it is making a huge difference!”

Brisk walking for as little as 30 minutes a day can provide many benefits, including: improved self-image and energy level; reduced stress and anxiety; improved muscle tone and strength; and lower blood cholesterol, triglyceride and blood pressure level.  Even people who have ignored regular exercise until middle age can reap significant benefits by starting a walking program.  A Harvard study published in 1986, found that individuals lived two hours longer for every hour of exercise they performed when performed on a regular basis”.

“Ferguson has been a long-time supporter of our Heart Walk, and it was a natural fit to have a company that is already walking the talk in terms of a healthy culture at work to help lead our Start! efforts here in the Peninsula,” said Nicole Aiello Sapio, SVP of the American Heart Association.

Start! is sponsored nationally by SUBWAY®, Healthy Choice® and AstraZeneca, and locally by Riverside Health System and Ferguson. For more information about Start! and how it is helping improve the health of Americans by focusing on an activity that is convenient, free and easy, call 804-965-6512 or visit www.americanheart.org/start.

¹ Stewart WF, Ricci JA, Chee E, Morganstein D, Lost productive work time costs from health conditions in the United States; results from the American productivity audit. J Occup Environ Med. 2003;45(12):1234-1246

² “Physical Activity Fundamental To Preventing Disease.” June 20, 2002. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

###