Office weight wars

Arnie Niekamp knows he has a lot to lose.

Five weeks into his company's weight-loss competition, he is down about 20 pounds from 280. But his teammate in the contest, who happens to be a CEO, is super-serious about winning, particularly after watching another team drop 20 pounds in the first week of competition.

"If I don't lose weight, I might lose my job," joked Anderson, 37, who works at the Jellyvision software and gaming companies in Goose Island. "I've got a lot to lose; I'm a tall, big guy."

With a few hundred dollars and the title of "The Biggest Loser" on the line, Jellyvision employees who are participating in the 10-week contest say temptation gets tough, and friendly sabotage is in the air. Cookies and cakes are finding their way into conference rooms. Someone scheduled a chili cookoff. One particularly dastardly employee is posting recipes for easy-to-make garlic bread and guacamole to Facebook, tagging everyone participating in the contest.

Offering prizes like gift cards or cash for employee fitness is a growing trend among companies. About 60 percent of companies used financial incentives to get employees to participate in health management programs or activities in 2012, according to a survey by Towers Watson and the National Business Group on Health. Another 20 percent say they plan to do so in 2013.

The question is, does the fierce competition help or hurt people who participate? Some say the underhanded tactics just provide more incentive to win.

"Really what it does is, it just reminds people that they need to be motivated," Niekamp said. "It reminds you that you're competing with people. The best strategy is not to draw attention to it. People will naturally sabotage themselves."

He said he's trying to keep his affinity for potato chips at bay, and is adjusting to a dramatically different diet of veggie smoothies, healthy soups and no drinking.

"I'm a pretty sedentary dude, unfortunately," he said. "I have put on a lot of weight from working here."

Amanda Lannert, the CEO of Jellyvision's interactive software arm, said the competition this year has changed. While previous contests have been for individual weight loss, this year the company assigned random partners to participants. The dynamic of working in pairs, she says, adds more motivation to succeed, and creates more accountability. Partners can scold a teammate to put down a sandwich, or compare notes on diets to shed more weight. She recalled making a $300 side bet for a spa gift card a few years ago as a way to keep herself motivated.

"When it's a competition and it's 'mano a mano,' and someone falls off the rails, it's almost a good thing," said Lannert, 40, of Hinsdale. "Now they are working together. I wouldn't be surprised if this was the biggest success yet."

Lannert said the teasing and ribbing throughout the competition is good-natured, and in the end, all participants want each other to succeed. Still, it doesn't keep some from thinking about throwing a fatty wrench in the wheels of the competition.

"I'm planning a cheese grit, biscuit and gravy breakfast for a little later in the competition," said Justyn Harkin, 37, of Edgewater. One week in, he and his partner led the competition, losing a collective 20 pounds. So far, there has been a lot of teasing and saying no to birthday cakes. A co-worker has even joked in an email that a flulike virus going around is an "enterprising biggest loser strategy." Five weeks in, Harkin is about 16 pounds down from 293. His goal is to lose 40 pounds.

"I think the team aspect, too, gives you a bit of accountability," he said. "I hope it tantalizes me to stick with it beyond the competitions."

Lannert said previous competitions in the office have encouraged members to lose "life-changing" amounts of weight. All teasing aside, she said everyone in the office, competing or not, wants to see his or her co-workers succeed.

"There are people who really end up looking great," she said. "The proof is in the pudding."

mswasko@tribune.com