Mercer, Kurbo Health team-up to reduce childhood obesity

Kurbo Health

Mercer Health and Benefits has formed an alliance with Kurbo Health to provide employers with a proven mHealth coaching and weight loss program created specifically for kids, teens and families. The two parties aim to help employers assist employees and their families in reducing childhood obesity, thereby empowering healthier families while also reducing healthcare costs.

Under the deal, Mercer will combine its health benefits consulting capabilities and market reach with Kurbo Health’s platform which includes a mobile app with the proven science of the Stanford’s Pediatric Weight Control Program.

“Our alliance with Mercer is a major milestone for Kurbo Health that will enable employers to change the trajectory of kids’ lives through our holistic, educational and motivational approach to family weight loss and healthy living,” Joanna Strober, Founder and CEO of Kurbo Health, said in a statement. “With Kurbo, 88 percent of children reduce their BMI and maintain this reduced BMI 12 months later. We also see that 55 percent of parents lose weight, and more than 80 percent of parents say their family has adopted healthier habits and stress has decreased.”

The Kurbo platform consists of three components: a mobile app that tracks food and activity and provides nutrition and exercise education, an automated feedback system with real-time healthy food decisions, and personalized, one-to-one coaching.

The alliance with Kurbo Health represents one of the initial solutions brought to market by Mercer’s Health Innovation LABS team. The LABS team engages with innovative companies to help forward-thinking employers navigate the rapidly changing healthcare environment, launch clinically impactful programs and improve the health of their employees and families.

Earlier this year, Kurbo Health has partnered with Retrofit to help entire families lose weight and become healthier. Before that, in September 2015, the company has struck a deal with Humana to provide qualified employers with a Humana health plan an option to purchase a twelve-month subscription to Kurbo’s program as a wellness benefit for employees’ children.