<a href="http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ZUMBA-Awards-042511-032.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4169" src="http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ZUMBA-Awards-042511-032-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>eGroup sponsored and presented the Grand Prize (an iPad) at Force Protection Industries' "Beat the Bulge" awards ceremony that took place on-site at FPI on Monday, April 25th.

“Beat the Bulge” is not just a weight loss contest, but a lifestyle change initiative developed by FPI that encourages employees who wish to participate to name their bulge - be it high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, stress or simply just being overweight - and to overcome it through exercise, nutrition and behavior modification.  The contest ran from January-April 2011.

Resources made available to participants during the contest included access to certified professionals, a fitness boot camp, a complimentary gym membership, weight loss programs, lunch and learns, and other on-site activities.

There was a team component of the initiative to help foster comraderie and peer support, and prizes went to both the "Beat the Bulge" team champions as well as the individual champion.  No more than 50% of  team members could be on the weight loss program for the contest, at least 50% had to participate in the physical activity or biometric improvement programs.  Points were earned in a variety of ways including weight loss points, exercise points, bonus points (submission of reports) and penalty points (drop out, failure to weigh in, etc.) 

The program's mission to "promote physical activity and safe weight loss through proper nutrition and exercise, to encourage peer support in the work place, an to provide an activity that is healthy, educational and fun" was wildly successful and well received by employees.  As a result, FPI plans to run additional "Beat the Bulge" contests an ongoing basis throughout the year.