American Express Launches Healthy Living In Singapore

AmEx is the first global company in Singapore to launch a health programme that supports HPB’s upcoming NHLC 2010 theme of Healthy Together Singapore, 16 October 2010 - American Express today launched its Healthy Living programme for Singapore employees. Healthy Living is a global wellness programme developed specifically to help its employees and families understand, achieve and maintain good health.

Healthy Living also supports the Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) upcoming National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign (NHLC) theme of Healthy Together, where all Singapore residents are inspired to share the joys of having a healthy lifestyle, especially when they do it together,
across their social networks. Singapore is the first American Express market in East Asia to launch Healthy Living, having launched it in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Mexico and India.

The programme is customized for Singapore employees and built upon three key pillars: Be Active, Eat Healthy and Stay Balanced - to create a culture of healthy lifestyle. In line with these key pillars, American Express will offer employees the use of biometric measurement,
online health risk assessments and health & wellness coaching to encourage them to make more informed decisions in adopting a healthier lifestyle.

“Healthy Living is a long-term investment in employees designed to inspire and enable real behavior change. American Express is already witnessing tangible benefits from this programme in other countries, including reduced healthcare costs and superior customer service from healthier employees. In Singapore, we are delighted to be collaborating with the Health Promotion Board on its comprehensive line-up of workplace health promotion programmes,” said American Express Singapore Country Manager Simon Kahn.

American Express is working closely and in consultation with HPB in terms of employee education and communication efforts. Some examples include using “Healthier Choice” food products at vending machines and introducing HPB’s Healthier Restaurant and Healthier
Catering programmes to employees. Guest-of-Honour, Mr Lam Pin Woon, CEO of HPB, said: “We are very glad to have American Express support our upcoming NHLC 2010 theme of Healthy Together. Their
Healthy Living programme for their employees not only shows their commitment to promote good health among their staff, they are also leading the way to encourage staff to get Healthy

Together with their family, colleagues and friends, which makes their journey to health more fun and sustainable. Promoting workplace health is one of several key pillars of Healthy Together, and HPB looks forward to partnering with American Express to help spread the joy a healthy lifestyle can bring.”

In conjunction with the launch of Healthy Living in Singapore, American Express employees and families will attempt to make history in the Singapore Book of Records by building the country’s longest healthy sandwich. The sandwich will be 250 feet long, made with wholemeal bread, lettuce, capsicums, olives, tomatoes, chicken and dressings.
Employees and their families can also learn about Healthy Living at an Interactive Healthy Living House. As attendees wander through the Kitchen, Home Gym, and other rooms, they will learn how Healthy Living can be brought in to all facets of family life. Attendees will help make tasty, nutritious smoothies, take part in exercise demonstrations, receive basic biometric data, share what Healthy Living means to them and their families and have access to tools, resources and information to make Healthy Living a reality in their own homes.

The Healthy Living Programme for 2011 will be extended to include complete health screening for all employees, subsidies for gym membership and those who regularly engage in fitness activities, educating employees about healthier eating choices around the workplace and having educational materials sent to employees’ homes so that it reaches their families.

About American Express
American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at www.americanexpress.com and connect with us on www.facebook.com/americanexpress, www.twitter.com/americanexpress and www.youtube.com/americanexpress.

About Health Promotion Board
The Health Promotion Board (HPB) is a statutory board formed under the Ministry of Health, Singapore. HPB is the key national driver for health education, promotion and disease prevention programmes for children, adults and the elderly in Singapore. The vision of HPB is a nation of healthy and happy people, while the mission is to promote health excellence by empowering individuals to take ownership of their health. With its partners, HPB creates a supportive environment, and provides health education and preventive health services to empower Singaporeans to attain the best possible health throughout life.

About Healthy Together
Healthy Together, the theme for National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign 2010, inspires all Singapore residents to share the joys a healthy lifestyle can bring – especially when we do it together, across our social networks. The campaign taps into our collective desire to build brighter futures for our families, friends and neighbours.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Chng Li Li Michael Ngin
Public Affairs & Communications Corporate Communications
American Express International Inc. Health Promotion Board
Tel : +65 6317 6392 Tel : +65 6435 3546
Email: li.li.chng@aexp.cpom Email: Michael_Ngin@hpb.gov.sg