April 5, 2010/San Diego, CA—Inspired by the hit TV show, “The Biggest Loser” ACI Specialty Benefits kicks off National Workplace Wellness Week with big results from its own Biggest Loser challenge: in just 10 weeks, 26 employees lost over 100 pounds combined, and performed nearly 400 hours of physical activity.
“The real success was the dramatic change at ACI’s workplace. Lunches were healthier, yoga breaks replaced cell phone breaks, and employees inspired and motivated each other to make healthier life choices,” says ACI Specialty Benefits founder and CEO, Dr. Ann D. Clark. “We’re ready for our next wellness challenge.”
As a national provider of wellness services, ACI Specialty Benefits started the New Year with its own wellness resolution: to serve as a model of wellness on the job. Staff was broken into teams, each led by an executive for this wellness challenge. To ensure fairness, ACI’s wellness team created a unique points and reward system that measured success by percent of total body weight lost, not just pounds. Additional points were earned for participating in physical activity, including ACI’s on-site yoga and strength-training classes, and smoking cessation. At the end of each week, individual and team winners earned anything from ½-day Fridays to healthy catered lunches.
“ACI has been successful in implementing Biggest Loser challenges for wellness clients, and clients love to see that at ACI we `walk like we talk’ with wellness” assures ACI’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, Erin Krehbiel; herself a marathon runner. “We had an incredible 86% participation rate. It was great to see everyone motivate each other to eat healthier, take the stairs, try yoga, and make healthier choices in general. That’s what wellness is all about.”
Longtime employee Keri Gutierrez says, “I signed up for ACI’s Biggest Loser challenge for a little friendly competition, and ended up losing over 20 pounds. I feel great.”
About ACI Specialty Benefits
ACI Specialty Benefits is a Top Ten provider of employee assistance programs, wellness, student assistance, and work/life services to corporations worldwide. ACI Specialty Benefits consistently ranks in the nation’s Top Ten EAPs by Business Insurance. Founded in 1983, ACI remains a privately-owned specialty benefits corporation, headquartered in San Diego. For more information, visit www.acispecialtybenefits.com.
Media Contact:
Laura McDermott
(800) 932-0034 ext. 207
lmcdermott(a)acispecialtybenefits.com
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