Slimming Waistlines and Fattening Wallets
Weigh and Win helps Coloradans lose more than 100,000 pounds
DENVER — Weigh and Win, a free personalized program that offers cash rewards and prizes to individuals who achieve or maintain a healthy weight, has reached another colossal milestone. In just two and a half years, Weigh and Win has helped Coloradans lose a combined 100,000 pounds and distributed more than $140,000 in cash rewards.
“We know that being overweight or obese has serious health consequences. It not only increases the risk for chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, but there’s also a tremendous cost to our communities,” said Jandel Allen-Davis, MD, Kaiser Permanente Vice President of Government and External Relations. “Kaiser Permanente is committed to improving the health of all Coloradans and this program builds upon our extensive work to increase healthy eating and physical activity.”
The average weight improvement for successful Weigh and Win participants after one year in the program is 17 pounds or an eight percent weight loss. For someone who is overweight or obese, a five to seven percent weight loss can delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.
The success of participants in the program is having an impact on communities as well. For every $1 invested into the community program, $3.42 is saved in reduced health care costs, according to an independent analysis done by a researcher at Colorado State University.
“I had reached a point in my life where I felt nothing could compel me to lose weight when I heard about the Weigh and Win program. Ten months later, I have not only lost almost 100 pounds, but I have learned how to live a healthier life,” said Deb Scott, a Weigh and Win participant. “I walk, eat healthy and have energy. I am a happier person because Weigh and Win has helped me learn how to keep motivated and make lots of little changes.”
Weigh and Win is helping Coloradans achieve healthier lifestyles via personalized email and text messaging coaching, including a daily exercise and meal plan, a weekly grocery list, tips specific to their own barriers and motivations, and other success strategies.
Individuals can track their progress by participating in privately photographed weigh-ins at kiosks each quarter. Participants who begin with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or greater receive quarterly cash rewards according to the percentage of weight loss. For example, a 10 percent weight loss would result in a $30 reward and a 20 percent weight loss would result in $75. Rewards are also provided for maintaining weight loss over each quarter and all participants, regardless of weight, are eligible to win monthly prizes just for participating.
“Our program focuses on helping participants make small changes in their lives and educating our population in making the healthy choice, the easy choice. Eating healthier, moving more, and turning those small changes into habits, can result in a large impact on your health,” said Lia Schoepke, Weigh and Win Program Manager.
Weigh and Win’s success and impact on Coloradan’s health during the past two and half years are made possible through the strong partnerships between businesses, public health departments and local communities.
“Weigh and Win is a valuable resource in Northern Colorado,” said Roxane Conant, community and worksite wellness manager for North Colorado Medical Center. “We are excited to be a partner organization, along with NCMC Foundation and Weld County Department of Public Health, and make available a Weigh and Win mobile kiosk in Northern Colorado. Weigh and Win is one more tool to complement our existing community programs like heart healthy cooking classes to help individuals in the community on their wellness journey.”
Weigh and Win plans to continue to help Coloradans stay engaged in improving their health. In the coming year, Weigh and Win plans to roll out several exciting program enhancements, including a new social and mobile feature that allows individuals to challenge a friend.
FAST FACTS:
- 100,000 pounds lost by Weigh and Win participants
- 38,500 Weigh and Win enrollments
- Eight percent weight loss among successful Weigh and Win participants
- 48 kiosks state-wide, including 11 traveling kiosks that are being shared among partners in communities such as Denver, Colorado Springs, Greeley, Loveland, Pueblo, Routt County, Durango, and Walsenburg. All kiosk locations and the mobile kiosk calendar can be found here.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT:
About Weigh and Win
As a free program, Weigh and Win provides Colorado adults with access to an effective weight management program. Weigh and Win is aimed at decreasing obesity rates by engaging people with rewards tied to actual measured results. This is the first program of its kind to translate an evidence-based worksite wellness program, developed by a privately owned Colorado company named incentaHEALTH, for the general public. Participants receive personalized technology-based coaching on healthy eating and active living, track progress with weigh-ins at private community kiosks, and earn quarterly cash rewards based on weight improvement and maintenance. Weigh and Win is funded by Kaiser Permanente to complement the organization’s other efforts to increase healthy eating and physical activity throughout the state. For more information on Weigh and Win, please visit http://www.weighandwin.com/ or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/weighandwin or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WeighandWin.
###
