Why tackling obesity as a family is key to driving down healthcare costs

CHICAGO and PALO ALTO, Calif., May 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Addressing obesity as a family is critical to tackling weight loss and associated healthcare costs in kids and adults, according to industry leaders doing just that.

"Traditional weight-management solutions focus on a single adult or child in a household," said Mary Pigatti, CEO, Retrofit, a leading provider of weight-management and disease-prevention programs. "But the home environment and family dynamic are powerful determinants of obesity. If families can be coached as a unit to learn new skills, cook, eat, exercise, and play together, the home becomes more healthful for everyone. Organizations are now beginning to understand the financial impact of family obesity, the dynamic of the home environment, and extending weight-management support to the entire household."

Health-claim costs for adults and children who are obese are more than double that of adults and children who are a normal weight. Research illustrates that parent-child interactions have a wide-reaching impact for employers and health plans far beyond just health-claim costs. Kids who are obese become ill more often than normal weight kids just as adults who are obese experience more health issues. Parents of children who are obese also experience an increase in absenteeism and lost productivity.

Retrofit and Kurbo have partnered to tackle family obesity, and the results are powerful. The partnership is reducing overall health costs and improving ROI through family weight loss. Kurbo CEO and Co-Founder, Joanna Strober, will join Retrofit CEO, Mary Pigatti, for a webinar, where they will discuss the challenges, solutions and ROI for helping families manage weight loss.

The organizations have introduced Retrofit Family powered by Kurbo, the only proven mobile-health coaching and weight-loss solution that's made for kids, teens and families.

"Weight loss works best when you have a support system in place," Strober said. "Giving kids and adults the tools to address weight together can curb obesity and bring families together in a powerful way. Family weight loss also fosters meaningful connections centered around health and leads to improved confidence, higher productivity and increased overall happiness."

The webinar, Fighting family obesity: meaningful connections drive powerful results, will take place at 11 a.m. CT on Thursday, June 1. To register, click here.

Contact:
Nora Dudley
Retrofit
773-330-5540
[email protected]

SOURCE Retrofit