The Polk County Health Department has launched a new wellness resource kit to help local businesses.

The Worksite Wellness Resource Kit provides a connection to more than 20 local health professionals and agencies that are working together to promote a culture of health in Polk County. Polk Wellness Professionals members are reaching out to those businesses that request help in developing wellness programs for their employees.

"This has been an on-going collaborative effort of multiple professionals in the wellness field," says Kelly Andrews, Worksite Wellness Strategy Leader for Building a Healthier Polk and Past Chair for the Polk Wellness Professionals.

Businesses can access this free Resource Kit at www.polkwellnessprofessionals.org.

Polk Wellness Professionals was founded in 2011 as a small group of Health & Wellness leaders looking to network and support one another.

The average return on investment for worksite wellness is a savings of $3 for every dollar spent.  Companies usually see this return in three to five years, PWP said.

Obesity is costly and it is a risk factor for chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. These are major causes of death and often result in preventable hospital stays. Polk County's obesity rate is higher than the state (37.6 percent versus 27.2 percent).