Wattie's staff are full of beans

Heinz Wattie's has won the Global Corporate Challenge for the second year in a row.

The challenge is an event aimed at getting employees more physically active over a 16 week period in order to improve their health.

The company was named the Most Active Company in New Zealand and their Top Cats team was awarded the Most Active Team award.

All participants wear pedometers.

The event promotes 10,000 steps per day but Wattie's achieved a company average of 15,224.

Contestants walked whenever possible, even meetings would be held while walking.

Wattie's, defending champions from last year challenged other companies to join the Challenge but again reigned supreme. Two hundred and fifty nine Wattie's employees took part in 37 teams and 644 other business employees took part in 92 teams nationally.

Top Cats member Karlos Hawkins said having a large work site in Hastings helped, but mainly it was down to commitment and constant monitoring of pedometers. "It's addictive," he said.

Wattie's paid for a medical assessment of all staff before and after the event and will likely continue the event next year.