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Company benefits from workers eating healthy

Published on July 17^th 2009, 7:48pm

Their company has taken the unusual step of taking work time to get them fitter and healthier.

A health audit found one in four of them could have a heart attack in the next five years, so the lines maintenance company took action - and the workers are losing weight fast.

Vern Rosier used to grab a sweet snack without even thinking about it, but he and his workmates had a rude awakening recently - two of their colleagues died of heart attacks, and one was only 29.

“We couldn’t get our heads around the fact that he was so young and something like that happening to him,” says Mr Rosier.

It gave everyone at the company a jolt, but they were about to be shocked even more - a health audit of Northpower workers found one in four was at risk of a heart attack in the next five years.

They were not looking after their health or eating the right kind of food.

The audit was a wake-up call for the company too, so Northpower hired another company that specialises in on the job education and exercise.

Mr Rosier and the others have now changed their ways. Instead of skipping breakfast every day, now they have a healthy meal. They eat more fruit, less junk and get out walking.

Twelve weeks into it, they are showing results. Altogether they’ve lost 238kg between about 70 of them - an average of 4kg, or a sack of potatoes each.

The health buzz is really catching on, because they’re doing it together at work.

Northpower is one of few employers that has brought such a programme into the workplace, but as an employer, they’ll ultimately reap the benefits.

View the video on Campbell live at TV3’s website

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