Improving the Health of Colorado

DENVER - Sept. 22, 2014 - PRLog -- DENVER – What do these numbers have in common — 50,000, 153,000 and 280,000? They are all metrics of success among Weigh and Win participants. To date, more than 50,000 Coloradans have signed up for Weigh and Win as a commitment to improving their health. Participants have lost a total of 153,000 pounds, earning a total of $280,000 in cash rewards for their success. Weigh and Win is a free community program for all Colorado residents that teaches healthy habits and pays cash rewards for weight improvement and maintenance. Kaiser Permanente is the founding funder of Weigh and Win as part of its commitment to promoting healthy eating and active living.

“Weigh and Win has helped thousands of Coloradans live healthier lifestyles. We couldn’t be more pleased with the level of support the program gained from community partners and the tremendous growth which has made it even more accessible to Colorado residents,” said Jandel Allen-Davis, MD, vice president of government, external relations and research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado.  “Our hope is that this program continues to grow in popularity for the sake of the health of all Coloradans.”

Coloradans can sign up for free at www.WeighandWin.com to start receiving daily coaching on healthy eating and active living by email or text message. The coaching includes tips for weight loss, daily exercise and meal plans, weekly grocery shopping lists and more. Progress is tracked through quarterly weigh-ins at one of 53 community kiosk locations  throughout the state. Then, success is rewarded with quarterly cash rewards for weight loss and maintenance, as well as monthly prize drawings just for participating.

“Weigh and Win has been working hard for the past three and a half years to help improve the health of Coloradans,” said Lia Schoepke, Program Manager of Weigh and Win. “Even though Colorado is considered to be one of the healthiest states in the nation, 20 percent of our population is obese and 35 percent is overweight. Hitting 50,000 enrollments is a huge milestone and a big step toward improving the health of our state.” Weigh and Win is a one-of-a-kind community program with verified weight loss data through patented photographed weigh-ins with the HEALTHspot kiosk. Currently, 45 percent of all Weigh and Win participants with two or more weigh-ins have achieved a 3 percent or more weight improvement. Recent research (http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1770219) suggests that even a weight loss of 3-5 percent produces meaningful health benefits, such as reducing risk for Type 2 Diabetes and need for cholesterol and heart medications.

“Once you make the commitment to lose the weight. The Weigh and Win program is such a huge support,” shared Suzie See, a Weigh and Win participant who achieved a 23 percent weight improvement. “There’s so much information that they provide to you, that as long as you’re taking that first step – anybody can do it.”

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. Participants involved in the Weigh and Win Team Challenge see a higher success rate: 20 pounds for team members and 22 pounds for team captains. The ‘Fit For Fall’ Weigh and Win Team Challenge is currently running.

“Our goal is to reward 100 million people for engaging in a H.E.A.L (Healthy Eating, Active Living) lifestyle.  Our success in Colorado is one piece of the puzzle,” said Schoepke.

Want to improve the health of your community? Please contact Weigh and Win at 303-694-8012 to learn more on how you can help build a healthier community.

QUICK STATS:
- 50,000+ people enrolled in Weigh and Win program
- $280,000 in cash rewards given out
- 153,500 pounds lost
- 53 community kiosk locations statewide. Map of all partners and kiosk locations can be found at WeighandWin.com.
- 8 percent weight loss for successful participants after one year in the program.
- 45 percent of all participants have achieved a 3 percent or more weight improvement

STUDY SOURCE: http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1770219

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 (http://www.incentahealth.com/), for the general public. 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 Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WeighandWin.