Here’s a harsh truth: 72 million Americans, or one-third of the adult U.S. population, are considered clinically obese. About two thirds of the Americans on diets are women—and for this reason, the weight loss market is generally geared towards their gender. That means there’s a lot of room for better marketing toward men, who have, up until more recently, been underserved. The fact of the matter is, most men probably don’t want to follow a weight loss plan that’s clearly designed for women, and even if they did, each gender has unique needs and differing body compositions. A new local startup is aiming to fill that gap: After spending 18 months in R&D-mode, the former Procter & Gamble employees behind Gain Life (founded in 2013) are finally launching their digital health startup’s first behavioral medicine program for guys.
ManUP Health of Boston seeks to help people lose weight via guidance and accountability from a dedicated coach, teammates, and Web/mobile resources. To achieve this, the company is leveraging Procter & Gamble’s product development principles along with science from a notable metabolism research center, The University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center. What differentiates the program is that it focuses on the mental aspects of improving one’s health. There's a reason for this: research conducted by Gain Life co-founder and chief science advisor John Peters on individuals in the National Weight Control Registry—a database of 10,000 people who lost an average of 70 pounds and kept it off for over six years—determined that successful weight loss largely depends on linking certain eating and physical activity behaviors to a higher purpose or mission in a person’s life.
According to the company, the ManUP program enables the average member to achieve 14 percent weight loss within one year.
The company claims that ManUP enables the average member to achieve 14 percent weight loss within one year. And according to the 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS Guideline for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, sustained weight loss of 5 percent is likely to produce clinically meaningful reductions in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Additionally, a 2013 study conducted at Johns Hopkins found that subjects who lost 10 percent or more of their body weight had an 85 percent reduction in risk of developing diabetes within three years.
How it works
First, users complete an online assessment about their habits, needs and what makes them tick. Then, they're matched with a coach that fits their preferences (coaching style, male vs. female, etc.) From there on out, members meet with their coaches by phone or video chat. All members have online access to their Mindset, Activity, and Nutrition Playbooks, which provide guidance on how to succeed in the program, as well as to the Locker Room—ManUP’s online member community. Teammates support one another in the Locker Room, posting recipes, sharing accomplishments, asking for and offering advice, and posing challenges. And they compete against one another as they graphically compare their weight loss progress on the program to other members. They also have the option to submit their weekly stats covering how well they did following your activity playbook.
Since the site is responsive, members can do everything from their smartphone. And Eldridge noted that ManUP has plans to build an iOS and Android app that aims to make this even easier. Even though ManUP Health is targeted toward men, the company emphasizes that it works for women as well.
"Our vision is to have a complementary women’s-specific offering, so that women have an offering that’s tailor made for their unique mindset and needs."
“Our vision is to have a complementary women’s-specific offering, so that women have an offering that’s tailor made for their unique mindset and needs,” co-founder/CEO Sean Eldridge told BostInno in an email.
ManUP already sells its service to employers and insurance plans with 100 percent performance-based fees—meaning clients only pay if they see results—as well as direct to consumers. And the company offers a 40 percent discount to active or veteran first responders and military personnel. The program offers both English and Spanish-speaking coaching.
Two of ManUP's co-founders and a Member Success Lead are working out of the Boston office, with the third co-founder and Chief Strategy/Innovation Officer working at the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center. The company has four advisors, including Tom Futch, who led sales Weight Watchers, BodyMedia/Jawbone and Medtronic. Currently, the startup is searching for a director/head of engineering/CTO (the role all depends on the candidate) and a UX designer.
Image provided by ManUP Health.
