Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an issue that is putting a huge burden on the health system. The organs are specialists at keeping the bloodstream clean of toxins, and also produce various hormones that we need each and every day.
And yet kidney damage and reduced kidney function - two health issues that categorise CKD - are becoming more prevalent in Australia, and more expensive to treat.
Obesity can be a difficult subject to broach. There are many reasons why people are overweight, including medical and mental conditions that make it difficult for people to avoid the risks of obesity. And yet in Australia, it is a growing problem that medical professionals are trying to address.
Do you know what your employees' New Years resolutions are? Nielsen recently looked into some of the most common ones, and found that many people can be helped along by a company's corporate health insurance benefits.
Stress is a rather silent affliction. We touched recently on how it is costing Australian businesses more than $10 billion each and every year in productivity issues; however, the effects go much deeper than just in the workplace.
Many of Australia's young people are unlikely to have health insurance at the top of their priorities list. In fact, they may not have health matters on their minds at all.
The Australian government is consistently assessing whether the private health insurance industry is fit for purpose. After all, while the general perception may be that the power is with the health funds, it's the applicable industry bodies and decision makers that have to approve any vast changes - particularly those based around pricing.
The broad links between corporate health and the benefits to productivity have long been established. Employees that are looking after their bodies and minds have a better chance of staying on task and boosting the performance of the companies they work for.
The Australian government has long had a focus on ensuring that citizens maintain their health and wellbeing. Naturally, much of this mantra is funnelled to the general population through policies surrounding insurance.
The race to be the most productive, effective and savvy employee is typically heated in any organisation. In the world of big business, it can be particularly intense. In fact, CMO contributor Dr Linda Friedland explained that the business mantra of 'bigger, faster, more and more' has led to the rise of 'corporate athletes'.
Health and wellbeing is central to the lives of many Australians. After all, feeling good and staying sharp from a fitness perspective can smooth over many practices in life. In the workplace, it can make it easier to maintain focus or allow any physical elements of a role to be tackled much more easily.
