Allergan Pharmaceuticals Ireland receives two Irish Heart Foundation Awards
ALLERGAN Pharmaceuticals Ireland has been recognised by the Irish Heart Foundation for leading the way in prioritising their employees’ heart health.
The company was amongst 98 workplaces from around the country which were represented at the annual Irish Heart Foundation Happy Heart Healthy Eating and Active@Work Awards in the Gibson Hotel, Dublin. Allergan Pharmaceuticals received a bronze Happy Heart Healthy Eating Award and a gold Active@Work Award from the Irish Heart Foundation.
A pioneer in the field of workplace health, the Irish Heart Foundation has been supporting healthy workplaces nationwide for over 20 years through its Healthy Eating Awards, which assists staff restaurants in adopting healthier cooking practices and providing healthier food choices, ultimately making the healthier choice the easier choice for employees.
There are three different levels of achievement – gold, silver and bronze – which are aligned to the Irish Heart Foundation and Department of Health’s healthy eating guidelines. Implementation is overseen by the Irish Heart Foundation’s panel of registered dietitians.
The Irish Heart Foundation’s Active@Work Award, launched in 2013, was presented to workplaces in recognition of their efforts to increase employees’ physical activity levels at work. Fewer than one-third of Irish adults meet the minimum recommended physical activity level of 30 minutes of moderate activity five times a week and Irish adults are spending on average 7.3 hours every day sitting down.
Research shows that people who sit for prolonged periods are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease and stroke, even if individuals are regularly physically active, while one-third of premature heart disease has been associated with poor diets alone.
With one-quarter of the food eaten by Irish adults prepared and cooked outside of the home, workplaces can play a key role in offering healthier food choices and providing an environment that supports their employees to move more throughout the day.
The Irish Heart Foundation’s Happy Heart Healthy Eating and Active@Work Awards are supported by the HSE and Healthy Ireland.