Employers have a new tool in their arsenal to help employees
After one year, employees who used the DayTwo program lost an average of 19 pounds and reduced their body mass index by 3.3 points, according to a release. The program is meant to reduce the reliance on medication and help employees with obesity and Type 2 diabetes lose weight naturally.
Read more:
“Our food as medicine approach is how we will turn the tide on obesity and metabolic disease in this country,” Josh Stevens, president of DayTwo, said in a release. “Employers, health systems and health plans can now offer a proven path to remission of chronic conditions to their employees, patients and members.”
Metabolic conditions are the fastest growing health issue in the U.S., as more than two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Individuals with obesity are at a higher risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Treating obesity and other related conditions costs employers $480 billion in healthcare costs and $1.24 trillion in lost productivity and absenteeism, according to the Milken Institute, a health and well-being thinktank. Healthcare costs for obese individuals are $1,429 higher than for those with a healthy weight, CDC data found. Addtionally, overweight and obese employees miss 56% more work days than individuals with a normal weight.
Read more:
While more than one-third of those with obesity take medication to manage their condition, DayTwo seeks to help employees lose weight through food and dietary changes. Employees have access to thousands of meal options and are partnered with a dietitian to provide additional support and guidance.
“By offering an effective alternative to medications and leveraging the predictive power of an individual’s gut microbiome, we are seeing the life changing and life saving results of nutrition,” Stevens said. “In addition, our science allows participants to continue eating foods that are part of their lives and cultures.”
As obesity and Type 2 diabetes rates rise, DayTwo joins a slate of other nutritional programs employers are rolling out to help employees make healthier decisions.
“Technology drives your motivation because it helps you keep score of how you’re progressing,” says Marcus Gners, co-founder of Lifesum, a digital nutrition app. “Employers can actually approach bad nutrition and bad lifestyle as a way to empower employees to take better care of themselves so they don’t become victims of trickle-down diseases.”
