??? 大衛(wèi)?阿古斯博士坦言自己并不擅長(zhǎng)治療晚期疾病,。阿古斯是一位治療癌癥的醫(yī)生,，同時(shí)也是《紐約時(shí)報(bào)》（New York Times）暢銷書(shū)排行榜冠軍圖書(shū)《疾病的終結(jié)》(The End Of Illness)一書(shū)的作者。阿古斯說(shuō),，他厭倦了告知晚期慢性病患者,，自己對(duì)于他們的痼疾已無(wú)計(jì)可施。相反,，阿古斯更樂(lè)于從源頭上預(yù)防這類疾病的發(fā)生,。他的新書(shū)《長(zhǎng)壽生活簡(jiǎn)明指南》（Short Guide to a Long Life)闡釋了一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單的道理：明天的健康始于當(dāng)下的良好習(xí)慣。

????阿古斯的理念似乎也引起不少美國(guó)企業(yè)的“共鳴”,，哥倫比亞廣播公司（CBS）,、派拉蒙(Paramount)、藍(lán)十字保險(xiǎn)公司(Anthem Blue Cross)和戴爾CEO邁克爾?戴爾都紛紛為員工批量采購(gòu)這本書(shū),，希望幫助改善員工當(dāng)前的健康狀況能為公司在未來(lái)節(jié)省相關(guān)的開(kāi)銷,。

????阿古斯在《長(zhǎng)壽生活簡(jiǎn)明指南》這本圖文并茂的書(shū)中向讀者介紹了65個(gè)小竅門(mén)，從注射流感疫苗,、多吃魚(yú)到注意體型不一而足,。它們能夠延緩、某些情況下甚至能完全預(yù)防肥胖癥,、糖尿病及癡呆癥等這類慢性疾病的發(fā)生,。其中大多數(shù)建議，讀者可能至少已經(jīng)從自己的母親,、關(guān)切的朋友或某個(gè)熱心同事那里有所耳聞,。但是多數(shù)人都只是聽(tīng)聽(tīng)而已，并沒(méi)有在生活中付諸實(shí)踐,。正如阿古斯所說(shuō),，預(yù)防性保健理念的堪比硬性推銷。人們總想隨心所欲地過(guò)好今天,，明天再去擔(dān)心由此造成的后果,。

????這種觀念不僅在某種程度上導(dǎo)致了美國(guó)慢性疾病的盛行，同時(shí)也給當(dāng)前的美國(guó)醫(yī)療系統(tǒng)帶來(lái)了重重問(wèn)題,。美國(guó)死亡案例中,，每十個(gè)人中就有七人死于慢性病；同時(shí),，慢性病的治療占用了美國(guó)醫(yī)療保健系統(tǒng)大約75%的資金,。僅從治療成本和生產(chǎn)力損失兩方面計(jì)算，每年慢性疾病所造成的經(jīng)濟(jì)損失就達(dá)到了1萬(wàn)億美元,。同時(shí),，它也給為員工提供醫(yī)保的雇主制造了一個(gè)大麻煩。

????各家公司正在采取行動(dòng),，投資于員工現(xiàn)在的健康,，希望借此遏制醫(yī)療成本在未來(lái)進(jìn)一步上升。阿古斯稱：“它就是一個(gè)所謂的完美風(fēng)暴：只要能夠妥善預(yù)防某種疾病的發(fā)生,，個(gè)人,、企業(yè)以及保險(xiǎn)公司就都能實(shí)現(xiàn)共贏。而這就是我們的目標(biāo),?！?/p>

????邁克爾?戴爾自掏腰包買(mǎi)了約1000本《長(zhǎng)壽生活簡(jiǎn)明指南》，分發(fā)給戴爾公司的高管們,、其資產(chǎn)管理公司MSD Capital及其家族基金會(huì)的員工,。戴爾公司更宏觀層面的We Are Dell福利項(xiàng)目就已經(jīng)包括在全球的分公司向員工提供就地醫(yī)療服務(wù)、醫(yī)療診所,、健身中心及健身辦公桌。同時(shí),，戴爾公司還對(duì)公司餐廳提供補(bǔ)貼,，為員工供應(yīng)健康食品。邁克爾?戴爾表示,，各種計(jì)劃互相配合,，既能讓員工的身體健康狀況得到改善，又能讓公司的投資最終獲得“雙底線”回報(bào),。戴爾說(shuō)：“公司熱情關(guān)注員工健康,，同時(shí)也重視健康知識(shí)對(duì)于改善員工健康狀況、削減成本方面的重要作用,?！?/p>

????各家公司采購(gòu)《長(zhǎng)壽生活簡(jiǎn)明指南》背后的經(jīng)濟(jì)賬就和這本書(shū)本身一樣簡(jiǎn)單明了。每本《長(zhǎng)壽生活簡(jiǎn)明指南》售價(jià)約20美元,，1000本書(shū)加起來(lái)也只讓戴爾公司花了2萬(wàn)美元,。據(jù)阿古斯估算，如果某位員工因?yàn)殚喿x了這本書(shū)而改變生活方式,，并因此預(yù)防了心臟病的發(fā)生,，那么戴爾公司未來(lái)僅在這一位員工身上就可以節(jié)省7.8萬(wàn)美元的醫(yī)療成本。而如果某位員工預(yù)防了結(jié)腸癌的發(fā)生，節(jié)省的費(fèi)用將迅速膨脹,，超過(guò)11萬(wàn)美元,。

????Dr. David Agus admits he is not good at treating advanced diseases. A cancer doctor and author of the No. 1 New York Times bestseller The End Of Illness, Agus says he is tired of telling patients that he has run out of ways to combat their chronic condition. Instead, Agus would like to prevent these diseases from happening in the first place. His new book A Short Guide to a Long Life explores the simple idea that a healthy tomorrow starts with good habits today.

????His message, it appears, is resonating in corporate America. Companies such as CBS (CBS), Paramount, and Anthem Blue Cross, along with Dell CEO Michael Dell, are buying the guide en masse for their employees in the hopes that improving employees' health today could save the companies money down the road.

????The illustrated health book offers 65 tips -- ranging from getting a flu shot to eating more fish to working on your posture -- that Agus suggests can delay, and in some cases entirely prevent, chronic diseases ranging from obesity to diabetes to dementia. You've probably heard most of the suggestions at least once from your mother, a concerned friend, or a busybody colleague. But most of us haven't incorporated them into our lives. As Agus explains, preventive health care can be a hard sell. People want to live the life they choose today and worry about the consequences later.

????That outlook is partly to blame for not only the prevalence of chronic disease in America, but also for problems in the health care system. Roughly 75% of health care dollars are spent treating chronic diseases, which are the cause of death for seven out of every 10 Americans. In total, such diseases cost the economy $1 trillion annually both in medical costs and lost productivity, creating a significant issue for employers providing health insurance for their employees.

????In an attempt to prevent these medicial costs from rising even more in the future, companies are taking action by investing in their employees' health now. Says Agus: "It is one of those perfect storms where if you can just prevent one disease well everybody wins: the individual, the corporation, and the insurer. That's the goal here."

????Michael Dell personally purchased about 1,000 copies of the book for executives at Dell, as well as for employees at MSD Capital, his wealth management firm, and his family foundation. Dell Inc. already offers onsite nurses, health clinics, fitness centers, and treadmill desks globally as part of its larger We Are Dell wellness program. The company also subsidizes healthy food in its cafeteria. Ultimately, says Michael Dell, the programs come together to create a great "double bottom line" return on investment as employees are empowered to improve their health. "We are passionate about health and the vital role better information can play to improve outcomes and reduce cost," Dell says.

????The math behind purchasing the Short Guide is almost as simple as the book itself. The guides cost roughly $20 each. About 1,000 copies of the book cost Dell $20,000. If just one employee reads the book and changes his or her lifestyle enough to prevent a heart attack, the company will avoid $78,000 in future health care costs, according to Agus. If one employee avoids colon cancer, those savings balloon to more than $110,000.