HEALTH insurer Argus yesterday launched a campaign to encourage its clients to ditch unhealthy habits that are taking years off their lives and adding millions to health care costs.

Gerald Simons, Argus president and chief executive officer, said that "negative lifestyle habits" were responsible for a large proportion of rocketing health care costs.

And he added that the initiative was "designed to improve the health of the nation by providing the necessary information and motivation to encourage individuals to achieve optimal health".

Argus will offer free programmes to its clients comprising four main elements ? measurement, intervention, education and awareness ? in an attempt to keep the lid on soaring premiums by keeping clients healthier. The insurer will work with specialists Wellsource and Selfhelpworks to provide employers with the tools to develop health management systems.

Mr. Simons said: "It is estimated that more than half the cost created by unhealthy and unsafe employees can be attributed directly to their negative lifestyle habits such as smoking, inactivity and obesity ? common concerns in Bermuda today.

"For example, one US study showed that a smoking employee will cost an employer on average $1,760 in lost productivity and $1,623 in excess medical costs each year.

"The absenteeism rate for smoking employees is on average 50 per cent more than for non-smoking co-workers. Smokers are six times more likely than non-smokers to suffer disability or retire early."

He added that largely preventable obesity was linked to nearly half of all cases of heart disease, the number one cause of death in Bermuda.

Mr. Simons added: "In order to have a healthy workforce in the future, we must invest in wellness today. We recognise the potential benefits of keeping our employees healthy far outweighs the dedication of time, energy and money.

"Improving the health, morale and productivity of the workforce helps employers gain the financial advantage of greater productivity and less absenteeism."

Cindy Campbell, Argus executive vice-president, group insurance, explained how the wellness initiative would work.

She said that the programme ? free of charge to all Argus health insurance customers ? would open with an initial health and lifestyle assessment of each employee.

This would be followed by the intervention stage, which would involve helping people to tackle areas of concern, such as obesity, smoking and addiction.

Support for individuals would be available online, including personal health profiles and educational materials. An added option will be a "health tracker" facility to assist employees in meeting their health goals.

Ms Campbell said health management systems had been proven to have huge benefits.

"A long-term study by the University of Michigan Health Management Research Council found that, between the year 1979 and 2000, worksite health promotion saved employers between $80 and $225 per employee annually in medical costs and an equal amount in productivity gains," Ms Campbell said.

"Johnson and Johnson found that they experienced a net saving of over $150 per employee per year following the implementation of their 'Live For Life' programme. Wellness programmes do work."

Bermuda Employers' Council president William DeSilva welcomed the Argus proposals.

"We applaud their leadership and we hope that this will act as a springboard to promote wellness in the community," Mr. DeSilva said.

"If people understand better how to take care of their health, everybody benefits, not just employers. When you talk about wellness, you are talking about human beings, not just the workplace."

Argus will be approaching its clients about the programme over the next few weeks.