Entries open for the new Weight Watchers Healthy Life Awards

New Zealand residents who have achieved their weight loss goals and turned their health around can now celebrate their success by entering the inaugural Weight Watchers Healthy Life Awards.

The Awards, formerly the Slimmer of the Year competition, celebrates and rewards New Zealanders who have turned their lives around by embracing a healthier lifestyle.

The competition has been redesigned this year to reflect the changing landscape of weight management, from an individual approach to one involving all aspects of daily life, including family and the workplace.

Weight Watchers Managing Director Joseph Saad says the Weight Watchers Healthy Life Awards recognises members' commitments to learning about and maintaining healthy lifestyle skills, all of which can significantly improve their quality of life.

"After many years as Slimmer of the Year we've taken the dramatic step of changing our competition to the Healthy Life Awards to reflect the next chapter of both Weight Watchers and the awards," Mr Saad said.

"Since 2004, New Zealand entrants have lost almost 20,000 kilograms. They are an inspiration to all Kiwis seeking to tilt the scales and kick start their journey to a healthier lifestyle.

"One in four New Zealanders is currently overweight and obesity-related disease rates are on the rise. As the leading weight management support system, it is our responsibility to encourage and support New Zealanders to embrace a healthier lifestyle in all walks of life. The fresh competition categories reflect our ethos and commitment to this cause." The Healthy Life Awards feature several new national and state categories, including Workplace of the Year, Family of the Year, Health Improvement, Weight Loss (3-15, 16-40, 41+ kilograms) and Weight Maintenance awards.

Current Weight Watchers Slimmer of the Year Jan Taylor 44, said her decision to lose 63 kilograms and go from a size 30 to a size 10 has given her a new lease on life. A kindergarten teacher from Invercargill, Ms Taylor is now running half marathons, and credits her success to the support of her family and friends. "The toughest part about losing weight was realising how much I had missed out on before with my family and I wish I had lost the weight sooner," Ms Taylor said. "The whole point of entering Slimmer of the Year was to tell my story to other people, because I have just gained so much out of losing weight. I have got my life backand I want to encourage other people to do the same. "At 124 kilograms I would never have been able to run a half marathon or go to a theme park with my kids. So hearing my 16 year-old son say, 'Mum, it's good to have you here!' is the best."

The Healthy Life Awards are open to Weight Watchers members from Australia and New Zealand who have successfully reached their goal weight, within their healthy body mass index (BMI) range.

As a Platinum Partner of the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation (NZBCF), Weight Watchers is donating $1 for each kilogram lost by this year's entrants to breast cancer research.

"In most cases weight loss leads to significant health improvements, and we see our donation to the NZBCF as representative of some of the health-related cost-savings our members can look forward to thanks to their weight loss," Mr Saad said.

The Healthy Life Awards ambassadors - including popular TV personality Tom Williams and Olympian and Weight Watchers Ambassador Melinda Gainsford-Taylor - will be there when the national winners are revealed at a gala dinner in Sydney on 18 November.

Weight Watchers members can find more information on the Healthy Life Awards website from July 13 - www.healthylifeawards.co.nz To learn more about Weight Watchers services, products and publications, visit www.weightwatchers.co.nz or call 0800 009 009