New Study Demonstrates Employer-Sponsored Weight Management Programs are Effective Regardless of Education Level

DALLAS, TX — (March 2, 2021) — Naturally Slim® (NS), a skills-based digital behavioral health company focused on whole health weight management and diabetes prevention within the employer-sponsored space, today announced the release of the research study, “A Retrospective Analysis of Employee Education Level on Weight Loss Following Participation in an Online, Corporately Sponsored, Weight Loss Program.” The study is co-authored by Naturally Slim’s Chief Medical Officer, Tim Church, M.D., M.P.H, Ph.D, one of the country’s leading clinical thought leaders in exercise and obesity research, and Conrad Earnest, Ph.D, former research associate at the Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University. The study is published online in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Before smart phones and AI assistants were common household items, studies that examined the connection between weight loss and education level showed that lower educational strata were associated with a higher prevalence of obesity. However, corporate-sponsored weight management programs are more inclusive today, making digital solutions, and their use for medical education, more widely available across education levels. 

 “While historical studies show that education levels have an impact on certain aspects of overall wellbeing and holistic health, our study’s findings reinforce that delivering an internet-based curriculum to the workplace can have impressive weight loss results for participants, regardless of education strata,” said Dr. Tim Church, Chief Medical Officer, Naturally Slim. “Employers have the important role of ensuring all employees are healthy and happy, and this study shows integrating online, behaviorally-focused weight management programs into their benefits portfolios can positively impact their entire population.”

According to the study, program attendance is a key component of success, defined as the amount of weight lost by participants. Specifically, those attending less than or equal to seven classes lost significantly less weight than those attended eight or more classes, regardless of education strata. Additionally, the study proved that people were likely to lose a “clinically beneficial” (3-5%) or “clinically significant” amount of weight (6% or more) if they attended eight or more classes, regardless of education level. 

Online behaviorally oriented, commercialized weight loss programs, such as Naturally Slim, have shown significant results among employees. According to earlier Naturally Slim studies, worksite weight loss programs are highly effective at reducing weight and reversing risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome and chronic disease. This is critical for organizations looking to provide all employees with the tools and resources they need to lead holistically healthy lifestyles while benefiting the organization financially by reducing health care claims costs. 

Read the complete research study, “A Retrospective Analysis of Employee Education Level on Weight Loss Following Participation in an Online, Corporately Sponsored, Weight Loss Program,” published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Based on years of research in the field, Naturally Slim is the leader in behavioral-based weight management programs. With multiple peer-reviewed studies that prove the efficacy and effectiveness of its program, the team is equipped with a science-backed program and an unmatched understanding of the market. 

• To learn more about the effects of online, behavioral-focused weight management programs on chronic diseases, read Naturally Slim’s published clinical studies: “Evaluation of a Voluntary Worksite Weight Loss Program on Metabolic Syndrome” and “Evaluation of a Voluntary Work Site Weight Loss Program on Hypertension.”
• To read more on the effect of class participation on those enrolled in a corporate sponsored commercial weight loss program, read the Naturally Slim study entitled “Retrospective Examination of Class Attendance on Corporately Sponsored Weight Loss Programming.”
• If interested in the clinical benefit of re-engaging in a corporate weight loss program, read “The Efficacy of Re-Engaging in an Employer Sponsored Weight Loss Program,” a Naturally Slim published study.

About Naturally Slim (NS)
NS is a digital behavior change program that focuses on improving the physical and mental health of employees and plan members across America. Although the name does not convey it, NS is much more than a weight loss program. With NS, participants learn the skills needed to sustain clinically meaningful weight loss, lower stress, sleep better, and move more—all without the hefty price tag of traditional health coach-centric programs. Simply put, NS is the single most cost-effective way for plan sponsors to reduce obesity-related disease and foster resilience in populations, helping employers and health plans do the most good for the most people. You can learn more at www.naturallyslim.com.

Read published press release here.

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Disclaimer: On May 13 2021, Naturally Slim rebranded to Wondr Health. At the time of this release, the company name was Naturally Slim.