Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Va. employees to vie for 'biggest losers' title
The governor opens an initiative for state workers, about 70 percent of whom are overweight.
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Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell kicked off a new health initiative Monday focused on reducing obesity among the state's 110,000 employees.
The "Governors Challenge 2010" program is a 13-week team weight loss competition that will begin Monday. McDonnell introduced the program in Richmond with a goal of having employees shed an average of 10 pounds each during the challenge.
With an estimated 70 percent of all state employees considered overweight or obese, state officials said they want the program to be an example to other Virginians who are trying to lose weight.
"We see this as a way for state employees to really model healthy lifestyles for Virginians," said Anne Waring, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management. "We feel we've had a leadership role [in wellness initiatives] and we want to continue to do that."
While the state has tried to address weight management in the past, this is the first time it has taken a team competition approach. The competition asks employees to form teams of four people and will track them to see if they can reduce their body mass index levels -- a measure of height and weight to help people target a healthy body size -- before a final weigh-in on May 19.
Six chronic health conditions related to being overweight, including diabetes and coronary artery disease, represent about 27 percent of all inpatient hospital costs for the state health benefits program.
While Waring couldn't provide specific cost-saving projections, she said programs like this one and some tried in the past work.
"It's been a big benefit in terms of morale," she said.
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Virginia, which administers health insurance benefits for state employees, helped kick off the challenge by sponsoring an event Monday that featured Bob Harper, the coach from NBC's "The Biggest Loser."
Anthem spokesman Scott Golden said his company has a history of working with the state to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent illness. A driving factor is trying to curb health care costs, he said.
"We're all in this together in terms of controlling health care costs," Golden said. "And we're seeing a trend more and more for companies both small or large doing more things to promote a healthy lifestyle."
