Corporate Wellness Watch: February 2008

"The Biggest Winners" — Companies Who Offer Weight Management Programs

Unless you live under a rock or in a house without a TV, you have heard about or watched the "Biggest Loser" show where a group of obese people compete to lose the most amount of weight over a period of time with the winner receiving a huge cash prize. This pop culture phenomenon is showing up in organizations across the U.S. where groups of employees pool money and offer cash incentives for the weekly, monthly or end of program "biggest loser". Why is this type of program so popular and in many cases, leads to participant weight loss? It seems as if support, competition, accountability and frankly, fun, make this type of program successful for some people. And when you think about it, that makes sense.

Whether your organization has a "Biggest Loser" program going on or not, helping overweight and obese employees deal with weight issues makes good business sense in the long run and here's why. According to a study published in the December 2005 issue of the American Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, obesity in American workers costs a whopping $42 billion per year in health-related lost productivity time, not to mention money spent on the medical conditions that many times accompany obesity — hypertension, diabetes, muscular skeletal injuries to name a few.

There is no magic bullet for weight loss but the National Weight Registry, an organization that collects information from thousands of individuals who lost at least 30 pounds and maintained their weight loss after a year found four common trends among those who kept the weight off:

They consumed a diet that was low in calories, low in fat and high in healthy carbohydrates (translated fruit, vegetables and whole grains).
They monitored their weight frequently.
The great majority (80%) ate breakfast every day.
They averaged approximately one hour per day of moderate physical activity.

The workplace is a great venue to promote these healthy eating and exercise habits thus encouraging weight control. Here are some suggestions:

Offer on-site nutritional counseling or weight management programs with a registered dietitian.
Invite reputable weight loss programs on-site such as Weight Watchers. Weight Watchers is not for everyone but it fits the need of some people who follow their point system.
Stay on top of your food service offerings to make sure they are highlighting healthy choices and not going overboard with portions.
Encourage activity with an on-site fitness area, walking paths, stair walking programs and exercise classes. Be on the lookout for ways to encourage physical activity in the workplace.
Encourage team competitions for weight management.
Offer a gold standard "Biggest Loser" competition with a registered dietitian who can supervise weight loss and help in healthy meal planning, a personal trainer to set up exercise programs for participants, a support group setting for motivation and incentives for achieving goals.
Encourage use of your health insurance carrier's website where there is plenty of information on weight management programs and helpful insight into healthy behaviors.
Subsidize or reimburse employees for off-site programs such as health club memberships or weight loss programs.

Remember to keep in mind why grass roots "Biggest Loser" weight loss competitions are so popular: support, competition, accountability, and fun. Keep these four things in mind when you are planning your on-site activities and you're headed for success!

A Weight Management Program That Worked!

The results are in from FWAW's 2007 "Maintain, Don't Gain" Holiday Weight Management Program. Employees in several FWAW client companies took part in this program to maintain and not gain weight over the holidays. In all, 593 employees weighed in and weighed out with 315 maintaining or losing weight from Thanksgiving to New Year's. The astonishing fact is that 766 total pounds were lost with an average of 2.5 pounds per participant. Not bad for a simple, fun competition!

Fitness Works at Work Corporate Health and Fitness News

Fitness Works at Work Welcomes...
Yale Appliance and Electric as a new client in February 2008. FWAW will be offering a variety of programs dealing with smoking cessation, healthy eating, exercise and injury prevention.

Fitness Works at Work in the Boston Globe...
Iris Sokol, President of FWAW was quoted in the January 26, 2008 issue of the Globe on the benefits of stretching and yoga programs in the workplace. Many of our corporate clients offer Yoga, stretching, Tai Chi, and Pilates in on-site fitness centers or in some cases, in conference rooms. These programs offer balance, peace, quiet, stress reduction and reflection; all qualities needed in the workplace.