Local businesses compete in weight loss challenge

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GREENFIELD — About seven local businesses have pledged to compete against each other in a “Biggest Loser”-style weight loss competition.

The inaugural Healthy Weigh competition, organized by Healthy 365 and Hancock Regional Hospital, will consist of a three-month competition including different nutrition and exercise challenges, said organizer Stephanie Swann, Hancock Health wellness coordinator.

Businesses may sign up to participate in the contest through Tuesday.

The competition comes three years after the city of Greenfield, Greenfield Banking Co. and hospital staff piloted the program and helps to fulfill one of Healthy 365’s goals of encouraging better health and exercise habits in county residents, Swann said.

Healthy 365 officials reached out to nine businesses that are already participating in a local workplace wellness initiative called AchieveWell to ask if they’d join the competition, said Amanda Everidge, Hancock Regional Hospital system of care coordinator.

The 12 challenges will include tasks such as getting eight hours of sleep at night, drinking 64 ounces of water per day or walking 10,000 steps a day, Swann said. Friendly competition is encouraged, she said. For example, during the pilot program, one competitor sent donuts to competitors at the city of Greenfield to tempt them into breaking their good habits, she said.

Jeff Inskeep, owner of Inskeep Ford, decided to ask his employees to get involved in the Healthy Weigh competition to boost an internal fitness program he started in 2014 that includes walking challenges.

The challenges encourage his employees to be more health-conscious; staying active will help them do their best work and might lead to reduced insurance costs, he said.

“I’ve got a lot of long-term employees and we’re not getting any younger,” he said.

Inskeep knows how valuable a friendly competition like Healthy Weigh can be — since the beginning of his company’s wellness program, he’s lost weight and improved his overall health, he said. Previously, his weight put him at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Associates of Hancock Health and Hancock Wellness Center will travel to the workplaces participating for a confidential initial weigh-in, and competitors will receive top prizes for the highest percentage of body weight loss, the highest percentage of body fat loss and most inches lost from their waistline. The top team also will receive a prize: a trophy and custom jackets for each team member, Swann said.

The winners will be announced May 20 at the North Street Fitness Festival. The captains of the losing team will be subjected to a public performance; during the pilot program, Hancock Regional Hospital CEO Steve Long and COO Rob Matt led a Zumba workout.

“It was a ton of fun,” Swann said.

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Healthy Weigh is a “Biggest Loser”-style competition between area businesses, hosted by Hancock Regional Hospital and Hancock Wellness Center. Participating businesses include:

City of Greenfield

Greenfield Banking Co.

Inskeep Ford

NineStar Connect

Greenfield-Central Community School Corp.

Daily Reporter

Hancock Health

For more information, contact Stephanie Swann, Hancock Health wellness coordinator, at 317-468-4122.

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Businesses interested in participating may still sign up for Healthy Weigh until 5 p.m. Tuesday. To sign up, contact Stephanie Swann at 317-468-4122 or [email protected].

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