New Program Allows Dieters to ‘Bet’ – and Profit – On Shedding Pounds


Double Down: HealthyWage launches initiative allowing dieters to double their money to lose just 10% of their body weight over a 6-month period using their diet and/or fitness regimen of choice; Only company in the nation paying Americans to lose weight as a proven effective inducement paradigm, in line with the burgeoning health care incentives and game-based motivation movements



NEW YORK, NY, October 18, 2011 – HealthyWage™ (www.HealthyWage.com), the only company in the U.S. offering Americans the opportunity to make money losing weight, has taken its successful “dieting for dollars” concept to an exciting new level. The company today announced the launch of its “10% Challenge,” an innovative new program allowing health-seekers nationwide to “bet” - and profit - on shedding their unwanted pounds through any diet regimen and/or fitness program they choose to follow (Weight Watchers®, Jenny Craig®, Nutrisystem®, Atkins®, or any other formal or informal diet/fitness program).


Through the HealthyWage 10% Challenge, participants pay $100 for an opportunity to double their money and earn $200 for losing just 10% of their starting body weight, BMI aside, within 6-months. Each participant’s starting and ending weights are verified at one of thousands of HealthyWage health club partners throughout the U.S., with each member also self-reporting their weight online once per week.


“Monetary incentives serve to enhance the effectiveness of, and duly complement, weight-loss programs of any and all sorts, especially when paid out quickly like our new 10% Challenge,” said HealthyWage co-founder David Roddenberry.  “In fact, financial health incentives are a growing trend, with more than 50% of self-insured employers in the U.S now offering some type of financial inducement as part of their healthcare program.  While our company pays all Americans $100 to lose weight as a standard part of our flagship ‘BMI Challenge’ program where bets or other participation fees don’t apply, we’re certain this ‘weight-loss wager’ approach will also be highly effective at motivating participants to achieve wellness goals – and rewarding them in kind.  Further bolstering our confidence in this new program methodology is the growing movement of ‘betting’ being successfully employed for a variety of social utility purposes, like those letting students bet on their grades as a way to help them achieve goals at school.  Our founding premise is the same.” 

HealthyWage is at the forefront of the health incentives trend - efforts the company hopes will counter costly alternatives overweight and obese individuals will face up ahead. This includes the recent health care Bill Affordable Care Act (Section 2705) stipulating that, starting in 2014, employers can use measures such as BMI to adjust health insurance premiums based on outcome-based wellness incentives by up to 30% - up from the current 20% level. In addition, Arizona recently proposed charging obese residents on Medicaid $50 as a financial penalty for being overweight. The proposition is currently under review, with similar consideration being given in other states.

The Money Motivation Model

In addition to its new HealthyWage 10% Challenge, the company offers various other cash rewards-based diet programs that pay participants to successfully make healthy choices. The company’s pioneering BMI Challenge pays $1,000 to those who invest $300 to participate and move from an obese BMI classification (greater than 30) to a normal BMI (less than 25) over a year’s time, while following a few rules and checking in on a weekly basis.  For those who prefer to participate in the BMI Challenge for free, without any up-front investment, HealthyWage offers the option to earn $100 for achieving these same term-based BMI goals. To date, more than 20% of individuals who committed their own money have won the cash prize and achieved a healthy weight through HealthyWage’s pioneering BMI Challenge.

Corey Beliveau, a Boston, Massachusetts-based participant who lost more than 50 pounds through HealthyWage’s BMI Challenge program, underscores the power of such a financial incentive approach, commenting, “The thought of an award for losing weight through HealthyWage appealed to me.  The appeal grew when I found out I could increase the amount of the award if I put up my own money, so I did this as well. I ultimately achieved my weight-loss goal through persistence and willpower, with my efforts definitely enhanced by the prize money at the end of the challenge.”  Kelly Angel, a Connecticut-based participant who lost 70 pounds through HealthyWage’s BMI Challenge, also exemplifies the effectiveness of this approach, leading her to lose a significant amount of weight in a relatively short period of time.

Those interested in learning more may do so online at www.HealthyWage.com.

About HealthyWage™
Health and wellness purveyor 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.  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 www.HealthyWage.com.