Accounting firm Dworken, Hillman, LaMorte & Sterczala has entered a competition to see who can lose the most weight during tax season and resist temptations like free pizza in the office.
The firm has set up its own version of "The Biggest Loser," with a cash prize going to the winner, according to the Connecticut Post.
Eight people in the 35-employee firm are participating, according to manager Mike Ganino. The goal is to lose 8 percent of the employee's beginning weight. Each contestant donates $50 as an entry fee, of which $10 goes into a pool. They get back the other $40 if they reach their goal. One of the members of the firm has also set up a betting pool and there's a "Biggest Loser" jar in the office where people can leave a donation. The goal is to help employees avoid putting on weight while coping with the rigors of tax season.
"Our firm, like all accounting firms, gets pretty busy," said Ganino. "People are trying to eat healthy, but we get an awful lot of pizza delivered to the firm. The firm also has a lot of lunches catered. This allows us to have a healthy meal catered." The most popular choices for the contestants are grilled chicken with roasted vegetables, and Caesar salads with no croutons. Many of them also work out at a health club near the office.
This is the second year of the competition. "We did it more informally last year," said Ganino. "We lost a good amount of weight and we gained a lot of it back. We're trying to structure it better to continue our healthy eating habits. It's worked out really well and we cheer each other on. The firm stands behind it 100 percent."
