Program redefines personalized weight loss with activity monitoring and wireless technology
SEATTLE, Wash. August 7, 2012 — Alere Wellbeing announced today that it has enhanced its Weight Talk® program through a collaboration with FitLinxx Inc., a leader in health and wellness technology. The Weight Talk® personal coaching program, designed to achieve measurable, sustainable weight loss, will utilize FitLinxx Inc.’s industry-leading wireless ActiPed+ to provide all-day activity monitoring for program participants. The ActiPed+ employs patented foot-strike technology to accurately track steps, distance, total activity time, and calories burned. ActiPed+ users can upload this data directly from their devices to the Weight Talk® website, and, when in range of a wireless access point, the data will upload automatically.
“Alere Wellbeing is committed to offering personalized support for participants who want to lose weight and keep it off — in a way that accommodates individual lifestyles,” said Sean Bell, Executive Vice President of Alere Wellbeing. “The ActiPed+ from FitLinxx is easy to use. All a participant has to do is register the device, clip it on to his or her shoe, and start moving. The activity data is automatically pulled into our coaching application, allowing coaches to review progress as they work with participants over the phone. We pride ourselves on the ability to adapt to the needs of an increasingly wireless participant base, so a partnership with FitLinxx makes perfect sense.”
Tracking health behaviors is one of the keys to weight loss success, so program coaches encourage Weight Talk® participants to use the ActiPed+ daily, monitor their data, and discuss their activity level with their dedicated coaches over the phone.
“FitLinxx is pleased to partner with Alere Wellbeing to provide an integrated weight loss program that promotes sustainable results through increased physical activity,” said Dave Monahan, President and CEO of FitLinxx. “By leveraging FitLinxx’s technology and Alere Wellbeing’s evidence-based program design, we will empower individuals to make lifestyle changes that significantly improve their well-being and reduce employer healthcare costs.”
Weight Talk® with Actiped+ will be launching October 1, 2012. More information about Weight Talk® and the ActiPed+ can be found at www.alerewellbeing.com or by emailing wellbeingsales@alere.com.
About Alere Wellbeing
Alere Wellbeing brings together science, technology, and personal interaction to help people recognize and modify unhealthy behaviors to avoid chronic illness and live longer, more vital lives. Alere Wellbeing’s evidence-based programs address modifiable health risks that contribute to chronic disease: tobacco use, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and stress. Current clients include 27 state governments and more than 675 health plans and employers, 76 of which are in the Fortune 500. Alere Wellbeing is known and respected for its pay-for-performance business model, intense focus on scalable service quality, dedicated account management, continuous program improvement, and transparent reporting of measurable outcomes at the individual participant and aggregate population level. Alere Wellbeing has contributed to more than 100 published research studies and maintains collaboration with the American Cancer Society® and an active research program funded by the Centers for Disease Control, American Legacy Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health. More information about Alere Wellbeing can be found at www.alerewellbeing.com.
About Alere
By developing new capabilities in near-patient diagnosis, monitoring and health management, Alere enables individuals to take charge of improving their health and quality of life at home. Alere’s global leading products and services, as well as its new product development efforts, focus on cardiology, infectious disease, toxicology, diabetes, oncology and women’s health. Alere is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. For more information regarding Alere please visit www.alere.com.
About FitLinxx
FitLinxx develops patented health and wellness technology that motivates people to live actively and improve their well-being. Sold exclusively through partners to businesses, its wireless activity monitors, health devices, and software make it easy for people to accurately track and measure daily activity levels and health indicators like weight and blood pressure. In addition, its fitness facility solution helps members adopt exercise habits that achieve health, wellness and fitness goals.
Using FitLinxx technology, the company’s global partners have created customized fun and engaging programs that help people begin and maintain active and healthy lifestyles. Employers benefit by lowering their healthcare costs, increasing worker productivity, and improving overall employee health. FitLinxx is unique in accurately tracking all-day activities in an end-to-end wireless solution. The company’s network of fitness facilities and more than 50 partners has helped more than four million people experience the benefits of FitLinxx offerings.