Weight Management: Take Action at Work

Start a new Weight Watchers at Work^® meeting

Getting a Weight Watchers meeting series started is easy. This guide will help get your started.

1. Identify a meeting organizer. Because you are reading this toolkit, you are probably the meeting organizer. As the organizer, you serve as the point of contact for anyone interested in attending a Weight Watchers meeting at your worksite.
   
   
2. Contact the Health Matters program. After you decide you want to organize a meeting series, contact the Health Matters program. If appropriate, the Health Matters team can assist you with:

• Promotional materials. The Health Matters team has provided e-mail templates and poster templates that you can use to promote you meeting.
• Promoting your program. Once you’ve determined the date, time, and location for your informational meeting or meeting series, contact the Health Matters team to update the Focus on Employees Web site.
• Logistical issues. If you need assistance with logistical issues, such as reserving a conference room or getting in touch with Weight Watchers, the Health Matters team may be able to assist you.
• Questions you have about the program. The Health Matters team can answer additional questions that you might have about starting a group or the Weight Watchers program.

3. Recruit members. One of the most important actions to take is to recruit members for your meetings. It takes 20 people to get a meeting started, so it’s a good idea to spread the word far and wide so you can identify as many potential members as you can.

• E-mail. One of the easiest ways to recruit members is to send an email. You can use the e-mail templates or you can create your own email. Give people at least 2-3 weeks notice about an upcoming meeting and be sure to remind them a few times before the meeting starts. Note: While you can use county e-mail to send a notice about your informational meeting, you must create and send the e-mail on your own time, such as your lunch or break.
• Posters. Another way to promote your meeting series is through posters. Several poster templates are available for you to use.

4. Identify a Weight Watchers Leader. Each meeting series needs a Leader from Weight Watchers. Not only does a Leader facilitate the weekly meeting series, they also collect the money from participants. To get a leader
   for your meeting email focusonemployees@kingcounty.gov
   
   
5. Schedule an informational meeting. You are now ready to schedule your informational meeting. Be sure the meeting is scheduled at a time when employees can attend on their “own” time, such as lunch or before or after work.
   
   
6. Reserve a conference room for the meeting series. Be sure to reserve a conference room for 90 minutes each week and for a total depending on the length of your meeting. While meetings are usually an hour or less, the extra time allows the meeting Leader to set up before the meeting and put materials away when the meeting is over.
   
   
7. Promote the meeting series. Once at least 20 people have committed to attend your meetings, you are ready to begin. Remind participants about the first meeting and then ask them if they need to be reminded about additional meetings.
   
   
8. Start your meetings! Now that you’ve got your participants, the meeting room, dates, and time, you’re ready to meet.