Waikato District Health Board has been named NZ Workplace of the Year at last night’s Weight Watchers Healthy Life Awards after losing more than 3,300 kilos - the equivalent of 26 Richie McCaws!

After four cycles of the Weight Watchers’ At Work programme, which was introduced at the DHB just 12 months ago, the company has had 33 members reach their goal weight with more than 350 people taking part over all.

The team was recognised at a glittering gala event in Sydney last night, where the DHB faced off against Progressive Enterprises.

Waikato DHB representative, Mary Anne Gill, commented: "Working in the health care industry, it is imperative that we take care of ourselves on the front line. Our staff is one of our biggest communities and we need to care for them in the same way we care for our patients.

"We introduced the programme to encourage staff to practise what they preach. We started about a year ago with 12 members in the first series, which grew to 86, then 186 and a massive 265 in our most recent cycle. We’ve had to cap our fifth cycle at 50 members!"

Speaking at this year’s Awards, Weight Watchers Australasia Managing Director, Joseph Saad said:

"The achievements of the team at the Waikato DHB are absolutely outstanding! To have lost more than 3,000 kilos, and to be on the fifth cycle in just 12 months, shows just how powerful our At Work Programme can be. For the healthcare profession especially to be making a difference like this is inspirational."

With almost 500 remarkable stories submitted from across Australia and New Zealand, entrants to the 2012 Healthy Life Awards have lost a staggering 10,347 kilos! To celebrate each kilogram lost by this year’s entrants, Weight Watchers is donating a total $10,347 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation in Australia and New Zealand.