by Krystal Paco

Guam - Lieutenant Governor Ray Tenorio launched the government's new wellness program during a press conference today. Health insurance provider SelectCare has teamed up with the SDA Clinic, Kontenda's Gym, Paradise Fitness and Synergy Studio to provide more services for government employees and wellness initiatives.

Department of Administration director Benita Manglona said there's no more excuses for GovGuam employees to not be healthy and that within her agency she's even started a 'Biggest Loser' contest. She said, "And I know that some of the department are doing the same thing, so I encourage and challenge all the director to please encourage and promote the wellness program. The gyms are free; there's no reason why we're not going to have a healthy population when the facilities are available at our disposal you can either go in the morning, go at lunch after work it has to initiate with directors and agency heads pushing. I'm sure that employees will follow also."

Pinki Lujan is the wellness coordinator for SelectCare and said, "The goal is four visits a month from our key partners our gyms and SDA and so one of our big objectives is to bring the gym to the worksite and educate your employees."

Tenorio asked that directors start tracking the sick leave that's accrued from now and next year so they can gauge the effectiveness of the new wellness program. He added that in order to make it work - employees have to be dedicated not just with exercise but also eating healthy. "There's good things to put in your body and bad things to put in your body some are vitamins, supplements you see all the stuff that's advertised all the time bottom line you go to do the hard work," he said. "You really do and from experience my wife and I we tried everything under the sun, but it pretty much goes down to one thing you've got to eat well, diet you gotta work out you got to do something for yourself on a couch eating 25 percent less salt lower fat chips ain't going to cut it. Trust me - been there, done that," he said.