One of the largest life insurers in Australia, AIA Australia1, hosted the AIA Vitality 4490 Summit in Sydney on Wednesday June 21, to address the biggest threat to our nation – the poor lifestyle choices that lead to 90 per cent of deaths in Australia2.
Headlined by Tennis Icon, Entrepreneur and Olympian Venus Williams, the Summit brought together an expert line-up of international and local industry leaders across the health and wellness sector to discuss ways in which the financial services industry can collaborate to find innovative solutions that drive better health outcomes within businesses and communities.
Damien Mu, CEO of AIA Australia and New Zealand, said the financial services industry has a vital role to play in promoting the prevention and early intervention of health-related illnesses affecting Australia.
“The Summit brought together industry leaders and hundreds of employees from across the financial services industry to address “4490” – which stands for the four lifestyle choices diet, exercise, alcohol consumption and smoking, that lead to the four major non-communicable diseases in Australia,” said Mr Mu.
“It’s time for all Australians to follow that innate desire to make a difference and live healthier lives – we are in this together. Business can help solve this societal issue by creating connections, sharing information and building relationships that will enable us to tackle health challenges holistically. To provide further education in this space and to aim to leave behind a great legacy for future generations to follow, is how our journey can start. By uniting to champion this cause we can lead Australia to be one of the healthiest nations in the world.”
As part of the focus on prevention and early intervention, AIA Australia has launched a movement to build a healthier and happier Australia through #onechange, which calls on Australians to embark on one change towards leading a healthier and happier lifestyle aligned to the key pillars Move Well, Think Well, Plan Well and Eat Well.
Keynote speaker, Venus Williams, demonstrated her support for AIA Australia’s #onechange campaign, sharing with delegates her own fitness and wellness tips that have helped her to stay at the top of her game, both on and off the court.
Williams illustrated the importance of how making one change, big or small, can lead to a healthier lifestyle, keeping your mind and body active for the future.
“It’s about finding a balance and living the life you want to live. But it’s important to build a community around you, with your family and friends who can join you and support you through the journey,” said Williams.
“The biggest and smallest challenges can be the mental ones, so it’s about standing tall whether you are at your best or not. Breaking these challenges into digestible pieces for your mind to process is so powerful to helping you achieve your best and reach the next level.”
1 Source: Strategic Insight
2 National statement on health literacy, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare
The Summit also featured insights from Amy McDonough, SVP of Strategy and Operation Fitbit Health Solutions, Barry Swartzberg CEO Vitality Group – Group Executive Director of Discovery Limited, Professor Stephen Jan, George Institute for Global Health and AIA Vitality Ambassadors, Shane Crawford, Chris Judd, Alisa Camplin and James Colquhoun.
Key areas discussed included the growing industry of corporate wellness, the importance of having a mentally healthy workplace and innovation in product and service design to drive behaviour change.
To discover more about leading a healthier and happier lifestyle, visit http://onelife.aiavitality.com.au/
#AIA4490 #onechange
For any further information, please contact:
Amy Hattam | Bastion Effect | 0423 505 083| amy@bastioneffect.com Janete Sampaio | Bastion Effect | 0417 188 842 | janete@bastioneffect.com
About AIA Australia:
AIA Australia Limited is an independent life insurance specialist with over 40 years of experience building real and sustainable partnerships. AIA Australia offers a range of products that protect and enhance the lives of nearly three million Australians and is widely recognised as a market leader in product innovation and development. AIA Group Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively “AIA” or the “Group”) comprise the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. It has a presence in 18 markets in Asia- Pacific.
AIA Australia is one of the country’s largest life insurers by market share and works closely with major financial institutions and corporate partners to provide life insurance solutions for their customers. In addition, AIA Australia is the fastest growing provider of retail life insurance products sold through financial advisers. AIA Australia also works with a network of affinity partners that distribute life insurance products. By having a partnership philosophy at the core of its business, AIA Australia is focused on building genuine relationships and delivering real value to its business partners.
In March 2014, AIA Australia introduced Vitality – the world’s leading scientifically-backed health and wellness program, to the Australian market. AIA Vitality aims to be the catalyst for real change to the positive health outcomes of Australians.
