The
Weigh2Rock system allows online self-monitoring of weight by children and
adolescents, with online background guidance/support from their healthcare provider or mentor.
What
Children Learn
An online "school" teaches a child or teen why they become
overweight, what are the health risks, and what are the steps needed to
attain a healthy weight. Tips to avoid unhealthy eating, sedentary behavior,
and emotional eating are also provided.
Automated
Self-Care (eCare)
A
secure “eCare Area” allows self-monitoring of a child's weight,
with provider/mentor
guidance and support. Children set
their goal weights and weight loss rate per week, in conjunction with
provider/mentor input. Automatic emails remind the children to weigh-in at
the provider-specified interval, and the provider is likewise notified of
weigh-ins or non-weigh-ins. An online community
of several thousand overweight children and adolescents provides social
interaction and peer support by means of monitored
bulletin boards,
chat rooms, a
community "weigh-in page", and online “weight-loss buddies”.
Minimal Provider/Mentor Time Required
Healthcare providers, PE teachers, personal trainers, counselors,
and other mentors may follow and interactively support their overweight
children online via the secure eCare Area and a personal "eRoom" for each
child. Optional pre-designed message templates and online management tools greatly leverage provider/mentor time, so that only a few minutes per week per child are
typically required from the provider/mentor. Digital photographs of the child and the
provider/mentor may personalize interactions, if desired.
Electronic
Accountability
A
child may use a specially designed digital scale, called an "eScale"
(wireless model shown at left, cabled version lower right), which connects
to a computer in a school, clinic, or community center, or to the child's home computer. The eScale automatically sends the
child's weight and comments to his/her
individual online
weight chart. The advantage of the eScale is that it renders the child
"electronically accountable", in that the weight value cannot be erroneously
entered or changed. The weight
chart results may be viewed at
anytime (via password) by the child/parents or by the child's healthcare
provider/mentor. The provider/mentor may then post support messages in the
child’s secure “eRoom”.
How does the
Weigh2Rock System work?
1) If your organization is interested in our system, please contact us
at
or or call 206-448-4414 (Seattle).
2) We will set up a private "online group" for you, with whatever name your organization would like, e.g. "HealthyKids".
Your organization's providers or mentors may then
register on the weigh2rock site under your organization's online group. Next,
your organization's participating children and teens sign up under
the online group and select their provider or mentor from the list.
3) Optional wireless or cabled eScales may be interfaced to computers in
your school, clinic, or
community center, or to your clients' home computers. The eScale software is web-based, so that no
installation disks are required. Seven (7) day a week technical
assistance is available.
4) Real time data and statistics of each organization's group are available (via password) in Excel spread
sheet format, suitable for research studies.
5) We also now have an iPhone app using the same eCare system and suitable for obesity management or research studies.