Health Management
Measures for Lifestyle Disease Prevention
In line with the Japanese government's Health Japan 21*1 campaign and the enactment of Japan's Health Promotion Law, the Canon Group performs lifestyle checks during regular medical examinations. Based on these results, all Group companies in Japan have determined items for improvement with the aim of actively preventing lifestyle diseases on an ongoing basis. Of the 10 improvement items pointed out in 2004, seven were confirmed to have shown improvement in 2011.
In response to revisions to the healthcare system that became effective in Japan in 2008, we are expanding the age range for health guidance, from employees 40 and older to those 30 and older.
Measures against metabolic syndrome in 2011 included the introduction of a new health management system in which employees can use their own PCs to confirm diagnostic results from the past three years and numerical data from the past 10 years. Our health-promotion measures included anti-smoking and vegetable-consumption campaigns, cancer screening awareness, and specific health guidance initiatives*2.
Henceforth we plan to lay out a medium- to long-term health management vision for employees, and make systematic efforts to combat lifestyle diseases.
- *1Health Japan 21
The National Health Promotion Movement in the 21st Century (Health Japan 21) campaign was launched by Japan's Ministry of Welfare (now the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare) in 2000. Its main objective is the prevention of lifestyle diseases.
- *2Specific health guidance initiatives
Special health checkups and specific health guidance concerning metabolic syndrome required since April 2008 of subscribers to Health Insurance Society or National Health Insurance who are 40 years of age and older.
Veggie Campaign poster
| Improvement Target Category | Improvement: Y(○)/N(×) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reduce number of employees with total cholesterol of 240mg/dl or more | ○ |
| 2 | Reduce number of employees with liver function ALT (GPT) 50u/l or more | ○ |
| 3 | Increase number of employees with normal blood pressure | ○ |
| 4 | Reduce number of smokers | ○ |
| 5 | Increase number of employees using conscious body movement techniques | ○ |
| 6 | Increase number of employees who exercise regularly | ○ |
| 7 | Increase number of employees consuming vegetables | ○ |
| 8 | Increase number of employees with appropriate BMI*1 | × |
| 9 | Decrease number of employees with abnormal glucose tolerance※2 | × |
| 10 | Decrease number of employees who eat one hour prior to sleeping | × |
- *1BMI： Body Mass Index
- *2Abnormal glucose tolerance: Difficulty metabolizing sugar
Percentage of persons with normal blood pressure (abnormal = 140/90 and above for either category) Canon Inc.
Percentage of smokers at Canon Inc.
Percentage of persons with vegetable intake (350 grams or more per day) Canon Inc.
| Group-wide Measures | |
|---|---|
| Anti-smoking campaign | "No smoking" is one of the lifestyle disease countermeasure themes. While the number of employees who smoke is decreasing, we made an effort to appeal to those who continue to smoke to stop for World No Smoking Day. We offered a program for quitting, displayed anti-smoking posters, held quit smoking classes, etc., at each operational site. |
| Veggie Campaign during National Work Health Week | Canon is engaging in companywide efforts to take on lifestyle-related diseases, which arise as a result of daily lifestyle habits. In 2010 we developed a three-year program, called the Veggie Campaign, for promoting awareness of the vital importance of a balanced diet. The campaign calls for employees to join with their colleagues and family members in eating vegetables to gain good nutritional balance. |
| Measures at Individual Sites | |
| A wide range of advancing efforts tailored to purposes and regional characteristics | Activities included consultations with industrial doctors and medical healthcare staff for employees, seminars for the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases, and seminars on diet and exercise. |
Promoting Mental Healthcare Initiatives
To promote its comprehensive mental health policy, Canon Inc. effectively conducts various programs that incorporate the four key care and three key prevention guidelines from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
We believe that improving the awareness of each employee is particularly important in the case of mental health, so in 2010 we constructed an education system for employees who are in their first or second year of employment. This system became fully operational thoughout the company in 2011. First, we conducted training at 11 of Canon Inc.'s operational sites, and then at more than half of the operational sites of Canon Group companies in Japan.
This training educates employees about self-monitoring and lifestyle improvement methods, as well as stress reduction through "assertive communication," which involves expressing one's opinions in a smooth manner. Company support structures are also covered.
We plan to continue with the above training in addition to making efforts in the area of stress testing to increase employee awareness. We will also enhance manager training to strengthen their ability to provide support and grasp the situation around them.
Mental Healthcare System
