MDHB staff win Weight Watchers Workplace of the Year

19/11/2009 | MDHB Weight Watchers win

MidCentral District Health Board (MDHB) staff have won New Zealand Workplace of the Year in the Australasian Weight Watchers Healthy Life Awards announced in Sydney last night.

A total of 245 staff joined the MDHB Weight Watchers At Work programme and shed a total of 1692kg in the 12 months to 18 September.

“That’s an average individual loss of 6.9kg,” Occupational Health Unit Nurse, Noeline King, who organised the Weight Watchers programmes for staff, says.

The Horowhenua Health Centre staff group have been 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.