247199 Trimming the Fat: An Evaluation of a Workplace Initiative to Promote Employee Weight Loss

Monday, October 31, 2011: 3:30 PM

James May, PhD , Substance Abuse Division, Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, Richmond, VA
Angela Fitzgerald, MS , Substance Abuse Division, Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, Richmond, VA
Ryan Friedberg, BS , Substance Abuse Division, Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, Richmond, VA
Jinny Roberts, BSN , Substance Abuse Division, Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, Richmond, VA
Dawn Farrell-Moore, MSW , Substance Abuse Division, Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, Richmond, VA
Obesity has become a public health concern due to its prevalence and costs to individual quality of life and medical care, and may have replaced more traditional public health concerns such as undernutrition and infectious diseases as the most significant cause of poor health. Obesity has also been associated with work limitations in the US workforce. A potential way of addressing this is to develop workplace initiatives that promote health/wellness while increasing employee's physical activity. One such approach is the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority's (RBHA's) Employee Weight Loss Challenge. Implemented by the Wellness Coordinator, this 15-week challenge promoted weight loss by providing monetary incentives, social support, and fitness/nutrition resources to employees of an urban Community Services Board in Central Virginia. An internal evaluation was conducted to assess the effectiveness of this initiative, while identifying factors contributing to improved health/wellness and increased fitness levels among employees. Of the agency's 460+ employees, 196 signed up to participate in the Challenge, and approximately 60% of those completed the Challenge. Results show that individuals who participated in the Challenge lost a combined total of 1122 pounds, while roughly 80% of Challenge completers experienced a significant decrease in their weight. Intrinsic motivators were most significantly associated with weight loss, and employees reported positive changes in job satisfaction, work-related stress and employee cohesion as a result of the Challenge. Outcomes from the evaluation of the RBHA Employee Weight Loss Challenge can inform future workplace approaches to promoting weight loss and overall health/wellness.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
1. Evaluate the effectiveness of a workplace weightloss initiative.

Keywords: Worksite, Health Promotion

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Dr. James C. (Jim) May has served in clinical and administrative positions in the public sector behavioral health care field for over 27 years and is presently the Substance Abuse Services Director for the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) in Richmond, VA.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.