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Kaiser Permanente Colorado Offers Its Employees incentaHEALTH Weight Loss and Wellness Program for Fourth Consecutive Year

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 February 2007, 12:00 CST

incentaHEALTH announced that health care giant Kaiser Permanente Colorado is offering its employees incentaHEALTH's weight loss and wellness program for the fourth consecutive year.

incentaHEALTH's patent-pending program is designed to help participating employees lose weight and develop healthy lifestyle habits through the incentaHEALTH cash incentives-driven program.

incentaHEALTH is a completely outsourced, turn-key program. "All an employer needs to supply is a location, in the hallway, cafeteria, or any other small space, where employees can privately weigh themselves on our computerized scale, we call the HEALTHspot," said Jack Rule, CEO of incentaHEALTH. "Their data is sent directly to incentaHEALTH, but never shared with the employer, preserving employee privacy and minimizing the administrative burden on the employer."

Kaiser Permanente Colorado was galvanized into action by its 2004 survey of its own 5,000 employees. The survey revealed that lack of physical activity, and diets low in fiber but high in fat were causing a rising number of employees to become either overweight or obese.

Melissa Dodd, Prevention Manager for Kaiser Permanente Colorado's Work Site Wellness department, said the incentaHEALTH program has proven invaluable in improving workplace productivity. "The employees are losing weight and feeling better, so they are more present at the job," said Dodd, "When they are able to lose weight and feel better, they perform better."

In Kaiser's case, participants weighed in at the incentaHEALTH kiosks at work, and the data was sent directly to incentaHEALTH, and never seen by Kaiser. "We simply provided easy access for employees to participate in private," she said, "and sent their data to incentaHEALTH."

In daily personalized emails, incentaHEALTH's fitness advisors recommend participants make lifestyle changes that they can maintain the rest of their lives. These suggestions include eating healthy foods, in smaller portions and more frequently, as well as exercising regularly. Participants can chat electronically real-time or by email with their advisors, and chart their success through online access to their own private progress reports.

Kaiser's Dodd attributed, in part, the program's success to the fact that it is based, literally, on employee incentives to receive monetary rewards for losing weight. "These incentives created excitement, and reinforcement that they were on the right track and losing weight," she said.

"I've had employees tell me, 'this program changed my life,'" said Dodd. "Personally, I'm quite happy with the results for our employees."

Indeed, incentaHEALTH data indicated that at Kaiser, among participants who lost weight, 75 percent were able to lose on average 18 pounds. "That's a terrific result," said incentaHEALTH's Rule.

About incentaHEALTH

incentaHEALTH is an innovative health care technology company based in Denver, Colorado. incentaHEALTH's fully outsourced, employee weight loss program is designed to encourage weight loss by participating employees, and as a result, lower employer health care costs. For more information, visit http://www.incentaHEALTH.com.

 CONTACTS Corporate Inquiries: 303.694.8008 info@incentaHEALTH.com  Media Inquiries: Gail Bronson InternetAssist 650.327.2999 media@incentaHEALTH.com

SOURCE: incentaHEALTH

Source: MARKET WIRE

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