Fitbit and Solera Health Partner to Tackle Type 2 Diabetes

Fitbit and Solera Health today announced a partnership to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes by using Fitbit’s platform through Solera Health’s integrated benefit network to promote positive behavior change.

The partnership aims to help individuals with Type 2 diabetes increase their physical activity and lose weight.

In 2017, Solera Health started offering Fitbit devices to people who used Solera to enroll in community-based or digital diabetes prevention programs.

An analysis of more than 1,700 people who enrolled in the National Diabetes Prevention Program through Solera Health’s network revealed that participants who redeemed a Fitbit device were more active and lost more weight during the program than those who did not.

Of the findings from the analysis, one major discovery was that Fitbit participants between the ages of 60 and 69 years old were more likely than any other age group to redeem a Fitbit through the program. This is significant because 61 percent of all healthcare costs attributed to diabetes care are for people over the age of 65.

Participants were also more likely to achieve the 5 percent weight loss compared to those who did not redeem a Fitbit. People with prediabetes who lose that amount of body weight through eating and 150 minutes of physical activity a week cut their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in half.

Those with a Fitbit device reported an extra 60 minutes of weekly activity compared to non-Fitbit participants by weeks 10-16 and continued to report at least 45 minutes more weekly activity through the maintenance phase of the program in months six through 12.

Now, Fitbit and Solera Health are looking for ways to scale their collaboration and will offer Fitbit’s newly released activity trackers to Solera’s diabetes prevention program participants.

“Our unique ability to connect individuals with the best-fit (diabetes prevention program) to meet their needs and preferences, paired with Fitbit’s easy-to-use wearable devices, has the potential to significantly alter how populations approach chronic disease prevention and management,” said Brenda Schmidt, CEO of Solera Health.

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