BASF joins Scale Back Alabama in the fight against obesity

McIntosh employees lose more than 300 pounds for wellness success

MCINTOSH, Ala., June 2, 2015 – BASF employees lost a total of 320 pounds while participating in the state’s Scale Back Alabama program. More than 28,000 Alabamians participated in the 10-week program that resulted in a total statewide weight loss of 79,942 pounds.

“BASF cares about its employees and their well-being,” said George Vann, Vice President of BASF’s McIntosh site. “We want to give our employees as many opportunities as possible to be the healthiest version of themselves. Programs like this help us to curb the dangerous obesity trend in Alabama.”

Scale Back Alabama (SBA) is a free statewide weight-loss program designed to encourage Alabamians to get healthy and to have fun while doing it. Scale Back Alabama is geared toward adults and is primarily operated with the help of local employers, hospitals and health departments. Each organization appoints one person to serve as the program coordinator, and individuals compete on teams of two to win the chance at cash prizes.

“I feel healthier since participating in the program,” said Tammy Williams, BASF employee who won first place as the company’s “biggest loser.” “The key to my success was cutting down on carbohydrates and exercising. My advice to anyone who wants to lose weight is to never stop starting over. It’s easy to get off track, if you do, simply start over. It’s a lifestyle change and small changes make a difference. Most importantly, celebrate the small victories.”

“I sleep better and my blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels have gone down,” said Charles Pugh, contracted security employee at BASF who was the second highest loser. “I slip in and out of the security truck with ease now, whereas before, I had trouble getting in and out of the vehicle. If I dropped something on the floor I would kick it to the side because I couldn’t bend over to pick it up. Now, I gladly pick things up. I would advise those who want to lose weight to get a medical check-up first. More than anything you have to want to lose weight.”

Download photo on right, suggested caption: BASF Scale Back Alabama competition winners. From left to right: Tammy Williams and Charles Pugh.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 17,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20.6 billion in 2014. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of over €74 billion in 2014 and around 113,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

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