Body Monitors Help Drive Healthy Behavior Change: ACSM Sessions

INDIANAPOLIS, May 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Body monitoring systems are demonstrating their value in successful interventions for weight loss and other potential applications, according to several studies being presented at the American College of Sports Medicine's 60^th Annual Meeting and 4th World Congress on Exercise is Medicine® opening today in Indianapolis. The studies – using the BodyMedia® armband body monitoring system – suggest that technology can be used to help encourage healthy behaviors and achieve successful health outcomes while also reducing the need for face-to-face meetings for treatment support.

One study, Effect of a Lifestyle Intervention Prior to Bariatric Surgery on Objectively Measured Physical Activity in Severely Obese Adults, showed increased six-month weight loss among individuals in the intervention group engaging in increased light and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity verses those in usual care.  The study included a pre-surgery diet and physical activity program accompanied by a combination of in-person sessions, telephone calls and the use of body monitors to measure the changes in activity levels.  (Wednesday, May 29, 9:30-9:45 am)

Another study, The Comparison of a Technology-based System and In-person Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention in the Severely Obese, looked at ways weight loss interventions can be delivered either by face-to-face meetings or through tech-based methods, including Bluetooth-enabled activity monitors.  The study enrolled Class II and Class III obese individuals, and found that a three-month program utilizing the BodyMedia® armbands and web-based system to track dietary intake and body weight, with or without the use of a smartphone, along with one 10-minute intervention telephone call each month resulted in weight loss comparable to standard in-person behavioral intervention. The findings suggest that significant short-term weight loss in the severely obese can be achieved with less in-person contact than today's typical support program. (Saturday, June 1, 9-11 am)

The ACSM meeting will also feature two symposia designed to educate attendees interested in using body monitoring technology to improve patient/client health behaviors in their own practices. They are:

• Wearable Technology to Improve Health: Moving Beyond Assessing Activity (Wednesday, May 29, 10:40-11:30 am), a tutorial on using wearable technology in clinical environments to enhance health outcomes.
• Use of Technology to Promote Physical Activity and Weight Management (Thursday, May 30, 3:15-5:15 pm), focusing on how technology can be used in obesity treatment to improve participant feedback, enable accurate data collection, and increase cost-effectiveness and reach compared to face-to-face clinics.

In addition, six other papers and abstracts to be presented at the ACSM meeting used BodyMedia® Armbands to study topics ranging from physical activity during pregnancy, the effects of seasonality and temperature on physical activity, and the use of the device in training programs for professional athletes.

The full meeting agenda can be viewed at http://www.acsmannualmeeting.org/

About BodyMedia, Inc.
BodyMedia pioneered the development of wearable body monitors that collect physiological data for use in improving health, wellness and fitness. Founded in 1999, the company today provides a variety of around-the-clock on-body monitors utilizing proprietary technology. Data captured by BodyMedia devices is used by consumers as well as health and wellness professionals to guide behavioral changes to help control weight and promote an active lifestyle – two factors that are routinely cited as keys to combat and manage serious medical conditions. The BodyMedia technology has been used in hundreds of clinical research studies covering health issues such as obesity, COPD, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, cancer, bariatrics, sleep and intensive care. BodyMedia is privately held and based in Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, visit www.bodymedia.com.

SOURCE BodyMedia, Inc.

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