小投资，大回报：企业界热捧健康新宝典

    大卫•阿古斯博士坦言自己并不擅长治疗晚期疾病。阿古斯是一位治疗癌症的医生，同时也是《纽约时报》（New York Times）畅销书排行榜冠军图书《疾病的终结》(The End Of Illness)一书的作者。阿古斯说，他厌倦了告知晚期慢性病患者，自己对于他们的痼疾已无计可施。相反，阿古斯更乐于从源头上预防这类疾病的发生。他的新书《长寿生活简明指南》（Short Guide to a Long Life)阐释了一个简单的道理：明天的健康始于当下的良好习惯。

    阿古斯的理念似乎也引起不少美国企业的“共鸣”，哥伦比亚广播公司（CBS）、派拉蒙(Paramount)、蓝十字保险公司(Anthem Blue Cross)和戴尔CEO迈克尔•戴尔都纷纷为员工批量采购这本书，希望帮助改善员工当前的健康状况能为公司在未来节省相关的开销。

    阿古斯在《长寿生活简明指南》这本图文并茂的书中向读者介绍了65个小窍门，从注射流感疫苗、多吃鱼到注意体型不一而足。它们能够延缓、某些情况下甚至能完全预防肥胖症、糖尿病及痴呆症等这类慢性疾病的发生。其中大多数建议，读者可能至少已经从自己的母亲、关切的朋友或某个热心同事那里有所耳闻。但是多数人都只是听听而已，并没有在生活中付诸实践。正如阿古斯所说，预防性保健理念的堪比硬性推销。人们总想随心所欲地过好今天，明天再去担心由此造成的后果。

    这种观念不仅在某种程度上导致了美国慢性疾病的盛行，同时也给当前的美国医疗系统带来了重重问题。美国死亡案例中，每十个人中就有七人死于慢性病；同时，慢性病的治疗占用了美国医疗保健系统大约75%的资金。仅从治疗成本和生产力损失两方面计算，每年慢性疾病所造成的经济损失就达到了1万亿美元。同时，它也给为员工提供医保的雇主制造了一个大麻烦。

    各家公司正在采取行动，投资于员工现在的健康，希望借此遏制医疗成本在未来进一步上升。阿古斯称：“它就是一个所谓的完美风暴：只要能够妥善预防某种疾病的发生，个人、企业以及保险公司就都能实现共赢。而这就是我们的目标。”

    迈克尔•戴尔自掏腰包买了约1000本《长寿生活简明指南》，分发给戴尔公司的高管们、其资产管理公司MSD Capital及其家族基金会的员工。戴尔公司更宏观层面的We Are Dell福利项目就已经包括在全球的分公司向员工提供就地医疗服务、医疗诊所、健身中心及健身办公桌。同时，戴尔公司还对公司餐厅提供补贴，为员工供应健康食品。迈克尔•戴尔表示，各种计划互相配合，既能让员工的身体健康状况得到改善，又能让公司的投资最终获得“双底线”回报。戴尔说：“公司热情关注员工健康，同时也重视健康知识对于改善员工健康状况、削减成本方面的重要作用。”

    各家公司采购《长寿生活简明指南》背后的经济账就和这本书本身一样简单明了。每本《长寿生活简明指南》售价约20美元，1000本书加起来也只让戴尔公司花了2万美元。据阿古斯估算，如果某位员工因为阅读了这本书而改变生活方式，并因此预防了心脏病的发生，那么戴尔公司未来仅在这一位员工身上就可以节省7.8万美元的医疗成本。而如果某位员工预防了结肠癌的发生，节省的费用将迅速膨胀，超过11万美元。

    Dr. David Agus admits he is not good at treating advanced diseases. A cancer doctor and author of the No. 1 New York Times bestseller The End Of Illness, Agus says he is tired of telling patients that he has run out of ways to combat their chronic condition. Instead, Agus would like to prevent these diseases from happening in the first place. His new book A Short Guide to a Long Life explores the simple idea that a healthy tomorrow starts with good habits today.

    His message, it appears, is resonating in corporate America. Companies such as CBS (CBS), Paramount, and Anthem Blue Cross, along with Dell CEO Michael Dell, are buying the guide en masse for their employees in the hopes that improving employees' health today could save the companies money down the road.

    The illustrated health book offers 65 tips -- ranging from getting a flu shot to eating more fish to working on your posture -- that Agus suggests can delay, and in some cases entirely prevent, chronic diseases ranging from obesity to diabetes to dementia. You've probably heard most of the suggestions at least once from your mother, a concerned friend, or a busybody colleague. But most of us haven't incorporated them into our lives. As Agus explains, preventive health care can be a hard sell. People want to live the life they choose today and worry about the consequences later.

    That outlook is partly to blame for not only the prevalence of chronic disease in America, but also for problems in the health care system. Roughly 75% of health care dollars are spent treating chronic diseases, which are the cause of death for seven out of every 10 Americans. In total, such diseases cost the economy $1 trillion annually both in medical costs and lost productivity, creating a significant issue for employers providing health insurance for their employees.

    In an attempt to prevent these medicial costs from rising even more in the future, companies are taking action by investing in their employees' health now. Says Agus: "It is one of those perfect storms where if you can just prevent one disease well everybody wins: the individual, the corporation, and the insurer. That's the goal here."

    Michael Dell personally purchased about 1,000 copies of the book for executives at Dell, as well as for employees at MSD Capital, his wealth management firm, and his family foundation. Dell Inc. already offers onsite nurses, health clinics, fitness centers, and treadmill desks globally as part of its larger We Are Dell wellness program. The company also subsidizes healthy food in its cafeteria. Ultimately, says Michael Dell, the programs come together to create a great "double bottom line" return on investment as employees are empowered to improve their health. "We are passionate about health and the vital role better information can play to improve outcomes and reduce cost," Dell says.

    The math behind purchasing the Short Guide is almost as simple as the book itself. The guides cost roughly $20 each. About 1,000 copies of the book cost Dell $20,000. If just one employee reads the book and changes his or her lifestyle enough to prevent a heart attack, the company will avoid $78,000 in future health care costs, according to Agus. If one employee avoids colon cancer, those savings balloon to more than $110,000.