Yukon College loses five employees...in weight
February 12, 2010
Whitehorse- Since Yukon College staff signed up for the Weight Watchers at Work Program in September, they have lost a total of 741 pounds. That is the equivalent of about five employees. Coffee-break chit chat, these days, is often about counting food points and scheduling gym time.
The staff assembles voluntarily once a week at noon hour for their weigh-in and a 30 minute meeting where victories are celebrated and strategies for healthy weight loss are shared. There are 24 active members in the Weight Watcher program, all of them women. The average group loss is about 30 pounds per week.
“This group program is about feeling good and being healthy, says the organizer, Maureen Stephens, who spear headed the group. “Employees who are healthy feel good about themselves and exude that positive outlook in their work environment”, she adds. Yukon College President Dr. Terry Weninger supports a healthy work environment by permitting the group to extend their weekly lunch hour for the extra minutes to accommodate the weigh-in. Two new treadmills were also just recently installed in the gym for staff and students to use.
A second 20-week Weight Watchers at Work cohort began on February 11th, and it is open to men, women, staff, and students. The cohort is open to anyone outside the College as well. This group will continue to accept members with the cost being pro-rated for the number of weeks remaining.
Interested new members may sign up at the meetings which take place Thursdays at noon in Room A2801.