Winning at wellness: Inspiring photos from EBN’s BeneFIT Success series

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Fidelity Bank Survival of the Fit After

Matt Napper’s “After” photo, after sweating it out in Fidelity Bank’s “Survival of the Fit” weight-loss challenge. In EBN August, read more about the challenge and Napper’s inspiring story, whose pre-challenge life featured little exercise and a lot of fast food. Thanks to the program, he says, “my total weight loss was 50 pounds! Now the only problem I have is finding clothing to fit!"

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Fidelity Bank Survival of the Fit

Matt Napper, a participant in Fidelity Bank’s “Survival of the Fit” weight loss challenge. Sponsored by the Pittsburgh-based company’s wellness committee, the 13-week program had Fidelity employees join teams of their choice and battle it out for the highest percentage of weight loss. This is Napper’s pre-challenge “Before” picture. Before learning to change his eating and exercise habits he said, “It is real easy just to drive through McDonalds or plop down on the couch after a long day of work.” Read about how Napper turned things around in the sixth installment of our BeneFIT Success Series (EBN August).

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Principal wellness success story

This fifth installment in EBN’s year-long BeneFIT Success series features the wellness successes of 12 employees at Principal Financial, who participated in the firm’s Healthy Weight Challenge. Pictured here are HWC participants who ran in a Principal-sponsored 5K and half-marathon. Read more about their wellness triumphs in “Slow and steady wins the race: Principal employees lose weight, gain health and confidence through worksite challenge” (EBN July).

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Principal wellness success story 2

A Principal Financial employee sweats it out in the company’s onsite fitness center as part of the Healthy Weight Challenge. The program’s 12 members lost 650 pounds as a group in nine months, but gained much more in terms of long term health.

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Principal wellness success story 3

Inspired by NBC’s hit television show, “The Biggest Loser,” Principal launched its inaugural Healthy Weight Challenge in 2010. Participants had twice-weekly appointments with a personal trainer and were required to work out one or two times each week on their own. Principal also provided a registered dietician to strike the appropriate eating balance during the course of the nine-month program. Read more about the challenge and its results in “Slow and steady wins the race: Principal employees lose weight, gain health and confidence through worksite challenge” (EBN July).

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Ivoclar Vivadent’s “Lifetime Weight Watchers”

Several members of Ivoclar Vivadent’s “Lifetime Weight Watchers,” including Michele Golding, Ivoclar’s compensation and benefits manager (far left). All members have met and maintained their weight loss goals through the company’s “Healthy Me” program. Read Golding’s comments on the program’s highlights in “Popular wellness program proving to be common link for company’s diverse employee population,” featured in EBN’s April 15 issue.

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Ivoclar Vivadent

Ivoclar Vivadent gathered all of its Weight Watchers participants together for this group photo. The company’s “Healthy Me” program has grown steadily, from 19% in the program’s first year, 2008, to 31% in 2009 and 46% in 2010. Employee-participants, however, have grown noticeably smaller. “Our group literally lost a ton of weight in the first year,” notes Michele Golding, Ivoclar’s compensation and benefits manager.

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Vivadent before and after

Maria Giambeluca, 62, before and after losing nearly 140 pounds through her employer Ivoclar Vivadent’s “Healthy Me” program. After her transformation, Giambeluca’s physician now calls her the poster child of health for a patient in her age bracket. Read about her journey in the second installment of EBN’s year-long BeneFIT Success series. The article, “Popular wellness program proving to be common link for company’s diverse employee population,” is in EBN’s April 15 issue.

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Luann Watkins

Luann Watkins, the first employee to be profiled in EBN’s year-long BeneFIT Success series, is an employee at Heffernan Insurance Brokers in Walnut Creek, Calif. After struggling with her weight for more than a decade, Heffernan’s Wellness@Work program helped her take back her health and her life.
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Luann Watkins 2

Luann Watkins, EBN’s debut BeneFIT Success story, walked her way to wellness over the course of 18 weeks. Her personal notes from her journey are included in the story “Uphill battle, downhill momentum” from EBN March.
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Luann Watkins 3

Heffernan Insurance Brokers employee Luann Watkins, after losing 52 pounds through hard work, determination and help from her company wellness program. Read about her road to success in EBN’s March cover story, “Uphill battle, downhill momentum.”

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