Kurbo Health Expands Reach of First Mobile Weight Loss Program for Kids and Teens with Launch of Android App
Palo Alto, CA (PRWEB) February 10, 2015 -- PALO ALTO, CA (February 10, 2015) – Kurbo Health, the first mobile subscription service to help kids and teenagers safely and effectively eat healthier and lose weight, announced today it has launched an Android app. Previously available only on iOS 7.0 or above, the addition of a Kurbo Android app (free; available on 4.0 and above for download here) extends the program’s reach to a much wider pool of children, teens and their parents seeking to eat healthier, get fit and lose weight.
Unlike adult-oriented programs that focus on calorie-counting, which can be dangerous for children, Kurbo is a comprehensive, evidence-backed system designed to empower and encourage kids to make healthier lifestyle choices. A digital adaptation of Stanford’s renowned pediatric weight control program, Kurbo follows the well-known “Traffic Light Diet” food classification system, which encourages users to consume fewer “red foods” (i.e., processed foods high in sugar and fat), more “greens” (most fruits and vegetables) and “yellows” (e.g., whole grain breads, dairy products, lean meats, etc.) in moderation. In addition, Kurbo users receive feedback and encouragement via text messages and weekly phone or video chats with a personal coach.
Within the Kurbo app itself, features include the food and exercise tracker, as well as fun games, budgeting tools, helpful videos, weekly challenges and progress screens. Users also receive virtual coaching (SMS text messages and notifications providing feedback and recommendations based on tracker entries), as well as personal coaching in the form of weekly phone calls or video chats with a live coach.
The program is subscription-based and offers a variety of pricing plan options ranging from $25-75 per month, depending on the levels of virtual and live coaching. (text-only coaching is $25/month; live phone coaching and text is $75). You can learn more here: https://kurbo.com/purchase_total.php
The app can be used free by parents and other members of the program participant’s family.
Kurbo Works: 90% Success Rate by Users
In the first pilot program for 65 children ages 8-17 years old who completed the Kurbo program between March and July 2014, users experienced a significant reduction (0.26) in their body mass index by (BMI). Of this group, 90% of the children either maintained or reduced their weight, and of those who reduced their weight, 58% reduced their BMI by over 3% and 20% of these reduced their BMI by over 7%.
In addition to weight loss and BMI reduction, at the end of the Kurbo program, kids reported higher levels of self-confidence and self-esteem, improved feelings of self-control, more physically active lifestyle, and reduced conflict between kids and parents over food and exercise. (For more on Kurbo’s outcomes, visit https://kurbo.com/science.php).
“It’s our goal at Kurbo to help millions of children, teens and their families learn lifelifelong healthy eating habits and make lasting changes that will help them live longer, happier and more fulfilling lives,” explained Kurbo founder and CEO Joanna Strober. “Expanding to Android helps further that goal and is just one of many steps we are taking to extend our reach.”
Strober added, “the Kurbo program is successful because we customize it for every unique child with their own specific set of circumstances. We actively encourage app users to send us their questions, comments, and frustrations through the ‘Contact Kurbo’ tab on the app, and each message is personally reviewed by a Kurbo employee to ensure we do everything we can to build a product that helps users reach their weight loss goals.”
About Kurbo
Kurbo is the first mobile subscription service to help kids and teenagers safely and effectively eat healthier and lose weight using their favorite tool—the smartphone. Based on Stanford University’s renowned and research-based Pediatric Weight Control Program, Kurbo is the only system combining personalized coaching and expert advice with mobile apps for food and activity tracking to promote healthier eating and exercise habits for children and their families. Kurbo Health is part of Rock Health, a full-service seed fund for digital health startups. The company has offices in San Francisco and Palo Alto. For more information, please visit http://www.kurbo.com.
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Aimee Grove, Smitten Communications, +1 415-706-1906, [email protected]
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