Businesses promote employee health through weight-loss contests By Antonio Young for the Daily Journal

Debbie Ronek of Bradley knows all about health challenges.

As a radiation therapist for Riverside's Betty Burch Bridgewater Center, she issues high doses of radiation for countless cancer patients fighting for their lives.

However, earlier this summer, Ronek took on a wellness test of her own. She entered Riverside's first "Biggest Loser Competition," a contest that motivated employees to slim down and shape up.

For eight weeks, Ronek and more than 200 other Riverside staff members split into 45 teams and competed for a prize pot that reached $3,006.

Each participant paid $10 to enter the contest, and weigh-ins featuring exercise and nutrition information, were conducted weekly. If an employee skipped a weigh-in or gained weight between the weigh-ins, he or she paid a dollar, which went toward the prize pot, said Christi Landeck, Risk Management specialist for Riverside's patient safety and employee health office.

The winning team was chosen based on the percentage of body weight lost, with a quarter of the reward given to the top individual "loser."

"We figured it would be a way for us to stay on a diet and be accountable to each other," said Ronek, 39, who participated with three of her co-workers.

They took half of the prize money by finishing in first place for losing 119 pounds.

Ronek, who weighed 201 pounds at the start of the contest, also took the individual crown for shedding 40 pounds and losing 20 percent of body fat. She also won $751.03.

It wasn't easy, however. Ronek had to stick to a no-salt, no-sugar diet mainly consisting of sweet potatoes, rice, turkey and chicken breast. She also ran on a treadmill five times a week for up to 50-minute sessions. Feeling much healthier, Ronek hopes to drop down to 135 pounds, she said.

Meaningful workouts

Companies across the country looking to contain their runaway health care costs are encouraging weight-loss competitions among their employees. A trimmer work force could mean decreased medical claims and higher productivity among employees.

According to a 2001 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, almost 65 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, a figure that has nearly doubled over the past two decades. Companies bear as much as $61 billion in direct health care costs and $56 billion in indirect costs due to lost employee productivity and premature death due to obesity.

Provena Health System was been able to save about $200,000 in health-care costs with its 2005 wellness program dubbed, "Bottom Line Challenge." Provena St. Mary's Wellness director Mike Grimsley said more than 10,000 of its employees have participated in the 10-week contest over the last two years.

In "Bottom Line," teams of six compete; and the winners are awarded for pounds lost, percentage of body fat lost, reduction or maintenance of blood pressure, inches lost and amount of cardiovascular exercise and resistance exercise. Past prizes have included cash, tickets to sporting events and even vacations.

But their improved health and energy matters most to employees.

"Some people use it as a springboard to get themselves back on track. They lose (weight) in the first contest, gain confidence and when the next contest comes around, they lose even more," Grimsley said.

This year's "Bottom Line" female winner was Lisa Adair. She lost 13 pounds and shed 9 1/4 inches of body fat after performing more than 5,000 minutes of cardio exercises and weight training.

A desk clerk for Provena St. Mary's Total Wellness Center, Adair also participated in "Walk the Line." The employee wellness program promotes increased walking through the use of pedometers. Over a two-month period, she took 652,643 steps. That's nearly 22,000 steps per day.

About two years ago, Adair weighed nearly 270 pounds. She now weighs about 150 pounds and hopes to get down to 135 pounds in the near future. Adair had lost 24 pounds in the 2005 "Bottom Line" contest.

But hospitals aren't the only ones promoting good health to their employees. Armstrong World Industries, a floor-tile-manufacturing plant based in Kankakee, has conducted weight-loss contests for its employees for more than 10 years.

The company's program, called "Biathlon," gives points for exercise. Prizes include lawn chairs, duffel bags and polo shirts.

Starting a wellness program at your work

Step 1:
Set the foundation. Build support among all levels; a successful program requires commitment from management and employees.

Step 2:
Form a workplace wellness committee to ensure employee participation and management support. Consider representatives from a cross-section of different departments.

Step 3:
Gather data on demographic information; health risk factors; number of medical claims; and injury rates and causes to identify key needs and expectations.

Step 4:
Implement goals. Do you want to reduce absenteeism by one day per employee? Decrease unnecessary emergency room visits? Or improve dietary habits of employees?

Step 5:
Consider incentives for the employees. Offer perks that are attractive and meaningful such as discounts on health insurance premiums or co-pays, fitness center discounts, time off or cash. gift certificates to restaurants are other good options.