Humana, Kurbo Health team-up to tackle youth’s obesity

Kurbo Health app

California-based Kurbo Health has scored a big deal with Humana to target youth’s obesity.

Starting this month, qualified employers with a Humana health plan will have the option to purchase a twelve-month subscription to Kurbo’s mobile health coaching and weight loss program as a wellness benefit for employees’ children. This, the press release says, is the first time a wellness program specifically designed to help an employee’s children has been introduced on such a large scale.

As a digital adaptation of Stanford’s Pediatric Obesity Program, Kurbo combines a food and activity tracker mobile app with personalized coaching via text, phone calls and video chat. Throughout the year, Humana will offer live health coaching to children in addition to the personalized coaching offered by Kurbo Health.

“Employers have begun to realize the impact of childhood obesity in several ways – both through increased medical bills and prescriptions for associated ailments and diseases such as diabetes – and indirectly, through parents’ lost productivity and engagement during the work day,” explained Kurbo CEO and Founder Joanna Strober. “Humana is leading the well-being charge by considering the whole family benefit of assisting employees’ children to get on the path to health.”

Launched in July 2014, the Kurbo app has been downloaded by more than 50,000 people and helped thousands of children and teens get healthy and lose weight.Launched in July 2014, the Kurbo app has been downloaded by more than 50,000 people and helped thousands of children and teens get healthy and lose weight. A recent Kurbo pilot study showed that 88 percent of children reduced their BMI at a healthy rate after using Kurbo coaching and its mobile app. These children reported higher levels of happiness, self-confidence and self-esteem.

According to the American Journal of Health Promotion, obesity is costing U.S. businesses more than $13 billion annually in health insurance claims, paid sick leave and disability and life insurance.