Earlier this year, Conner Industries was one of a select group of companies, chosen by our healthcare provider, to be awarded a “wellness grant” and participate in a pilot weight loss program aimed at reducing overall healthcare costs.  The program is called Naturally Slim.

While we had several participants within the company, there was one employee who stands out from the rest by losing over 50 pounds and greatly improving his health.  The folks over at Naturally Slim were so impressed by Perry, our Safety Manager, that they featured him in a video.

For those who are unfamiliar with the program, Naturally Slim is a common-sense digital counseling program that teaches participants simple skills to change when and how they eat, instead of what they eat.  It also creates other health habits leading to increased physical activity, better sleep, less stress and feeling more in control over health long-term.  It is the leading program offered by employers and plan sponsors nationwide to combat obesity-related diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and more.

During this weight loss pilot program there were 1108 people who took part, not all of them from Conner.  The participants lost an average of 3.6% of their body weight after just 10 weeks on the program.  For Perry, it’s been a whole new approach to nutrition and general health.  “I’ve never felt better than I do today,” he says.  Perry has written extensively about his journey, both internally for Conner employees and to encourage others using the Naturally Slim program nationwide.

Our CEO, David Dixon, was also interviewed to talk about how this program, and Perry’s progress, have influenced the our company.  With so many of our employees doing physical work every day in our plants, employee health is not only important to them personally, but healthy employees are also much less likely to get hurt on the job.  David was pleased to offer the program company wide and says it “encourages employees to live the right lifestyle.”  Perry has done a lot to encourage others to stick with it, and we expect more employees to join the program in the future.

Way to go Perry!  We’re all proud of you!