MDHB leads the way with Weight Watchers Workplace of the Year award
14/12/2009
| MDHB Weight Watchers award
MidCentral District Health Board (MDHB) celebrated winning the New Zealand Workplace of the Year in the Australasian Weight Watchers Healthy Life Awards last Friday.
Some of MDHB Weight Watchers who have achieved Lifetime Membership by their goal weight and maintaining it for six weeks.
(from left) Jane Richards,Moira Eathorne, Karen Sherward, Lorraine Rees, Carolyn Logan, Wendy Watts, Christine Wood and Debbi Potten.
MDHB CEO Murray Georgel and Occupational Health Unit Nurse, Noeline King, accepted the award from Weight Watchers at Work Manager Phillippa Roil at a celebration attended by around 30 MDHB staff representing those who contributed to the national win.
A total of 245 staff shed a total of 1692kg in the 12 months to 18 September. “That’s an average individual loss of 6.9kg,” Noeline, who coordinated the MDHB Weight Watchers at Work programme, says.
The Horowhenua Health Centre staff group were highly commended in their own right, as well as being included in the winning MDHB entry.
As the Weight Watchers At Work programme continues a number of MDHB staff have now lost over 25kg and 17 staff have achieved Lifetime Membership status by reaching their recommended healthy goal weight and maintaining this level for six weeks.
“People from every work group including doctors, nurses, allied health and administration staff have made a significant contribution to their health through joining the Weight Watchers At Work programme,” Group Manager Human Resources, Anne Amoore says.
“Initiatives like this benefit employees and the organisation as a whole; productivity increases, absenteeism declines, and job satisfaction improves. Remarkably, 14 of our staff achieved goal weight, within a healthy weight range, before our award entry was finalised in September. Since then another three staff have reached their goal weight as the programme continues.”
Based on the success at MidCentral DHB, five other District Health Boards have established Weight Watchers At Work programmes.
