It's not the Bob Barker that you may know, but the price was definitely right for employees of the Bob Barker company in Fuquay Varina. Participants in a five-month long weight loss challenge lost a total of 1,191 pounds.

Employees earned bonuses for losing weight, lowering blood pressure or cholesterol and for stopping smoking. Company president Robert Barker was surprised and pleased at the response.

"We had more than five people that lost more than 20 percent body weight in the program," said Barker. "We had people who reduced their cholesterol by 100 points, some by 40 and 50 percent, blood pressure down by 30 and 40 percent."

Barker says the idea started as a friendly competition in the corporate office, but he decided to take it company wide. A total of 114 of the manufacturing company's almost 300 employees participated. Randy Robbins said he feels great since losing 50 pounds.

"I love to play basketball and I couldn't any more," he said. "And I wanted to get my son playing basketball and I couldn't play with him and now I can, so it's fantastic."

Robbins is one of about 94 people who lost weight during the program. The reward was $50 for each one percent of body weight lost. Workers even earned extra money if they lost more weight than their boss.

The $5,000 grand prize went to Shawn Edwards, who lost 78 pounds - a third of his body weight. He says it was hard work, but he had good motivation.

"The money and also my health," he said. "I didn't want to end up like my dad, having heart problems, stuff like that, so I wanted to make a change in my life."

The company matched employee prizes with gifts to charity and gave away a total of about $160,000. Barker wants to continue the momentum and plans to do it all again in the second half of the year.