TEXAS, February 21, 2018 – Weight-loss wagering industry pioneer HealthyWage, the world’s leading purveyor of corporate and team-based weight loss challenges and financially-induced diet contests for individuals, today announced the return of the “Work Healthier Challenge,” an annual challenge throughout all of Texas encouraging employees statewide to lose weight, get healthy and win huge cash prizes for their effort. The Work Healthier Challenge, developed in partnership with It’s Time, Texas, encourages participants to stay on track toward their weight and financial goals with weekly nutrition and fitness tips and community support, in addition to providing fun and motivating activities.
The Work Healthier challenge is an initiative in partnership with statewide nonprofit It’s Time, Texas, which champions the “culture of health” movement in Texas by making a fit and healthier lifestyle more accessible for every Texan. Their programs and partnerships empower all state residents to lead healthier lives, build healthier communities, and contribute to a healthier state. The Work Healthier Challenge is a turnkey, team-based health improvement competition that will make a positive impact on the growing obesity epidemic. Together, It’s Time, Texas and HealthyWage will encourage and equip both individuals and employers throughout Texas with resources that can help their employees reduce costly lifestyle health risks that lead to chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and metabolic syndrome.
During the Work Healthier Challenge that runs between April 30th through July 23rd, personal or work-related teams of 5 will compete for the greatest percentage of weight loss. Each participant pays less than $25 per month as a registration fee for a chance to win extraordinary cash prizes: the top-performing team will win $10,000; second place will win $5,000; and third place will win $3,000—with the cash awards funded independently and guaranteed by HealthyWage. In addition, contest participants will qualify for prizes even beyond the contest period if they keep their weight off after 6-months. This includes HealthyWage providing a full reimbursement of the participant entry fee if they lose 10% of their starting weight 6-months after the end of the challenge.
In addition to those participating at an individual/personal level, employers (municipalities, school districts, companies, etc.) participating in the Work Healthier Challenge will do so in a “Company vs. Company” division. This allows organization to compete against others throughout the region in an attempt to have their employees lose the most weight and gain the most money. Participating companies in the Challenge include dozens of employers in the state, including Killeen ISD, Halliburton, TechnipFMC, and Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Registration for companies to participate is open until May 14th, 2018.
All Work Healthier Challenge participants weigh in at the beginning and end of the contest. During the initiative, participants receive educational content and weekly challenges designed to help the them stay motivated and maximize weight-loss success. To help employees and individuals get healthy and fit, the program will also use unique and proven proprietary tools developed by HealthyWage.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), one study found that morbidly obese employees cost between $4,252 and $8,067 per year, as opposed to normal-weight employees, who cost on average $3,838. For each additional body mass index (BMI) point above normal weight, costs can vary between $194-$222 per year, per employee.
In the 2017 HealthyWage Work Healthier Challenge, over 700 individuals participated and lost a total of 6,645 pounds, with an average loss of 9 pounds per person.
“Our financial incentive-based approach to motivate weight loss is proven effective,” says HealthyWage co-founder Jimmy Fleming. “In fact, participants in previous cash prize-fueled HealthyWage team contests have lost on average 5% of their body weight. Like other contests throughout the United States, the Work Healthier initiative will be a fun and effective way to mobilize the community around health and wellness and make a real impact on the community’s financial interests.”
Those interested in learning more and registering for the HealthyWage Work Healthier Challenge may do so via email at clients@healthywage.com.
About HealthyWage™
Industry-leading health and wellness, HealthyWage, provides cash incentives, social and expert-based support, tools and resources, and goal-setting and tracking technologies to address our nation’s obesity epidemic and improve America’s collective health. HealthyWage is at the forefront of the weight wagering movement, having formally created competitive, cash-fueled programs for more than 90 Fortune 500 and other companies, hospitals, health systems, insurers, school systems, municipal governments and other organizations throughout the U.S., and their program has been more informally run at more than 3,000 companies and organizations. The company was founded in response to academic research that proves even small cash rewards triple the effectiveness of weight-loss programs; that people are more effective at losing weight when their own money is at risk; and that social networks play a large role in the spread of obesity, and will likely play a large role in reversing obesity. Learn more online at https://www.HealthyWage.com.
About It’s Time, Texas
It’s Time, Texas, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a statewide organization that champions the movement for a healthier Texas by making healthier lifestyles more accessible for all Texans. Our programs and partnerships empower Texans to lead healthier lives, build healthier communities, and contribute to a healthier state. Simply put, they make healthy easier in the Lone Star State. Learn more at itstimetexas.org.
About Work Healthier
Work Healthier is a program of It’s Time, Texas established as a resource to assist employers, of any size, to improve the health and well-being of their employees and their families. Work Healthier has an array of resources and solutions that will improve any health and wellness program aimed to add value to organizations as well as help improve the overall health of the communities organizations serve. Learn more at ittworkhealthier.com.
