Appletree’s Employees Compete to be the ‘Biggest Loser’ And Shed More Than 628 Pounds

Careers in the customer service industry are notorious for sedentary job responsibilities with an abundance of sitting time at a desk or workstation.  However, Appletree Answers, a full service call center and answering service, is changing the way we work. This is the fourth-annual, company-wide Appletree Answers Biggest Loser Competition to promote healthy eating and activities throughout our 23 call center locations across the United States and Puerto Rico.

The rules are simple and similar to those of ABC’s ‘The Biggest Loser’ television show.  The initial weigh-in is followed by weekly weigh-ins for a total of 8 weeks. Teams consist of two employees and the winning team is determined at the final weigh in based on total combined weight loss percentage as a team.  The reward for this year’s winning team was $500 to use towards a gym membership for the coming year.  The number of participants and total pounds lost has increased each year, with 2012 ringing in an impressive 92 teams and 628.2 pounds lost.

Throughout the past 3 years, teams have named themselves, made t-shirts, and more recently have taken the contest viral by creating videos, sharing weigh-in updates, and healthy food and exercise tips on Appletree Answers’ Salesforce.com Chatter and Intranet. Appletree Answers provided a customized Biggest Loser playlist for workout inspiration and weekly leaderboard updates were posted on the company’s intranet. As an added incentive, employees who participated in a local walk or run during the 8-week period were also entered into a raffle to win an extra day of PTO.

This year’s contest was our most successful year yet based on the number of participants and pounds lost and we look forward to continuing this company tradition year after year.  The inspiration behind this initiative was to promote a healthy lifestyle for our employees and also allow participants to share tips and advice to live a healthier lifestyle in the office and at home. The results of this year’s contest not only benefited the health and well being of those who participated, but also provided a common goal that united individuals across our 23 offices.