Community and business leaders gathered Friday in Albert Lea for a worksite wellness roundtable at Wedgewood Cove, sponsored by a series of health partners from across the state.

Don Klassen, founder of the Presidents Network of the Twin Cities, who facilitated the event, said people from Albert Lea, Austin and the surrounding areas — including business, education and manufacturing representatives — attended the workshops.

Similar roundtable events are happening in other parts of the state.

The workshop focused on the importance of getting community and business leaders to commit to developing workplace wellness programs.

A panel of experts shared the latest best practices of healthy workplace initiatives and how to initiate, maintain and sustain them over time.

They also talked about what owners and company presidents can do to improve the health of employees and better manage health care costs.

The roundtable was sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Presidents Network of the Twin Cities. It was also sponsored by Freeborn County Public Health, with funding from a Statewide Health Improvement Program grant.

Out of 100 Minnesota employees:

• 38 are overweight and another 23 are obese.

• 17 smoke cigarettes daily.

• 85 are not eating healthy diets.

• 31 are not physically active enough to protect their health.

• 32 have high cholesterol.

• 21 have high blood pressure.

• 6 have diabetes

— Information presented by The Presidents Network