Globally, most employers offer at least one program -- ranging from a flu shot to gym discounts -- to ward off health risks such as poor nutrition, obesity, inactivity and stress, said the poll by human resources firm Buck Consultants.

Barry Hall, global research leader for Buck, said in the past an economic downturn brought the end of wellness programs and while a quarter of companies said they had been forced to reduce their initiatives, another 19 percent had actually boosted attempts to keep employees healthy.

. . . "In the past, [wellness programs] were thought of as a perk or benefit for people. Today it's much more strategic. It's about how do we get every employee more engaged about their health and their lifestyle," Hall said.

The survey found 64 percent of the employers polled said they had a wellness strategy, up from 60 percent last year and 49 percent in 2007, but two-thirds of those said they had not completely implemented their plans.

. . . In the U.S., employers' top aim for wellness programs was to reduce health care insurance costs, while everywhere else in the world it was to improve productivity.

"U.S. employers are paying on average about 80 percent of the cost of health care for their employees, in most other countries employers are paying very little to none of the cost," Hall said. "It's not an issue for them, it's a very painful issue for U.S. employers."

. . . In the U.S., Latin America and Canada, the most popular programs were immunizations or flu shots, while biometric screenings were favored in Africa and Asia. In Europe, discounts on gym memberships were No. 1.

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