The biggest winner | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

So the company brought in Weight Watchers.

"We started looking into the wellness of our employees," said Michelle Stambaugh, vice president of human resources for the bank.

Weight Watchers was one piece of the company's wellness program, which it started in January 2007 to stabilize its rising premiums from CareFirst.

The program has spread to 30 of the company's 130 employees, several of whom have seen so much success that they've been able to stop taking various medications. The participating employees in all eight branches have lost a combined weight of more than 900 pounds.

The 15-person seasonal weight training and yoga classes are always filled, and four employees have quit smoking thanks to smoking cessation classes. Employees even started a walking club with just under 20 members.

"The Bank of Glen Burnie is one our poster child for the success of a wellness program," said Lewis Shock, insurance broker for the bank.

To encourage employees, the bank subsidized half of all the wellness program activities. Because the program has reduced the company's claims spending, CareFirst has not raised its premium in two years.

The company had a premium in excess of $1 million and were seeing annual increases of 15 to 20 percent, Mr. Shock said.

"All of the things that they've done has actually had a very direct and measurable effect on claims spending," Mr. Shock said.

The wellness program also has cut down on missed work and increased productivity and morale.

"It has just done wonders for our employees' health and morale," Ms. Stambaugh said. "We've had no rate increase in our insurance in two years which is huge."

There was a positive initial response from the employees, with the exception of a few.

"A few people kind of went kicking and screaming but they're the ones that had the biggest weight loss," Ms. Stambaugh said.

Assistant Vice President Debbie Slappo was convinced to join the weight program by co-workers. She was the "biggest loser," dropping 83 pounds. She has changed eating habits and started exercising.

"It's not a diet change, it's a lifestyle change," she said. She now walks about 3½ miles four nights a week and watches her Weight Watchers points so carefully that co-workers have nicknamed her "the point Nazi."

"I say, 'I'm not eating it if it has more than three points in it, it's not worth it,' " she said.

She and her co-workers in the program bring lunch to work, eat together and share recipes.

"When you have friends and co-workers, people you see primarily most of their waking hours, it makes it a lot easier because you have the support," she said.

Ms. Stambaugh and Mike Livingston, bank president and CEO, said the programs have raised company morale and brought teamwork into the workplace.

"Instead of just being co-workers we've become more like friends and family because we're trying to support each other and help each other in whatever way we can," said Kristin Jenkins, a teller at the Severn branch who lost 31 pounds.

Jennifer Trice, the financial service manager of the bank's Riviera Beach branch, is one of many participants who report feeling better. She lost 27 pounds, lowered her cholesterol and has gotten a lot of complements.

"I feel good about how I look," she said.

Mr. Livingston is proud of his employees and was pleasantly surprised by their results, he said.

"It's amazing what they've done."