HEALTHeME, a mobile health technology focused on weight management and overall wellbeing, recently came up with the initial results of a pilot study that the company conducted in collaboration with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.
The research, which studied 300 employees from these two organizations for 12 weeks, showed that motivating text messages help people lose weight and feel happier and more energetic. According to the study, people lost as much as 20 lbs as a result of receiving motivating text messages.
In addition to losing weight, 91 percent of the participants surveyed said that changing their behavior was easier after receiving tailored text messages. In July, HEALTHeME announced the launch of this pilot study with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina employees.
Depression, stress, and a lack of energy lead to overeating and ultimately to weight gain. Using artificial intelligence, HEALTHeME mobile health technology automatically provides continuous support to people striving to make healthy behavior changes.
Created in 2009 by Harvard-trained neuro engineer Dr. Guy Rachmuth, this technology can be ideal for those experiencing mood swings, as it sets a goal on a daily basis for them. HEALTHeME sends personalized messages across unique dimensions of personality, and becomes more tailored with each interaction. HEALTHeME provides encouragement, medically validated weight loss plans, and tips on how to make smarter food choices.
The team behind HEALTHeME includes experts from the fields of neuroscience, nutrition, and behavioral psychology. Combining novel technologies, daily communication, and personalized weight loss plans, the team believes that personalized mobile health technology will become part of many people’s lives. The team helps create customized, clinically proven weight loss plans based on at least 60 different dimensions of personality and preference.
The technology can also be helpful for those who need a little motivation every now and then to change their ways of thinking about diet and exercise.
“People in the pilot said they felt empowered to perform simple behaviors that translated to having more energy and being in a better mood because messages were tailored and timely. They reported that the messages motivated them to change their thoughts at the right places and times to impact key behaviors,” HEALTHeME program coordinator Lauren Musolf claimed in a press release.
“Health care costs are exploding for consumers and employers alike. This is a problem that technology can help solve," said Rachmuth. "Our mission is to go beyond creating technology products that are simply scalable. Above all, we are committed to achieving healthy outcomes. We are encouraged by the results of this pilot showing that HEALTHeME does just that. We will continue to demonstrate HEALTHeME's ability to help people make behavior changes to improve their lives,” Rachmuth commented in connection to the outcome of the pilot study.
Madhubanti Rudra is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell
