The competition changed how thousands of Rhode Islanders think of weight loss and exercise, making it a group challenge to be taken on with friends and coworkers. Now in its fourth year, Shape Up Rhode Island continues to expand, not only in participation but in the diversity of its programs, with a new initiative for children, for example, and an outreach program involving doctors for which the Rhode Island Foundation just awarded $250,000.
Founder and chairman Rajiv Kumar answered questions about the initiatives.
PBN: This is the fourth year of Shape Up RI. How’s participation this year? Is the Shape Up culture proving to be sustainable?
KUMAR: So far this year we’ve enrolled more than 15,000 Rhode Islanders, up from 12,000 last year. About 50 percent of our participants return each year. There’s no question that they have spread our philosophy of wellness to their families, workplaces, schools and communities over the past four years. The shift toward a culture of wellness will not happen overnight, but positive indicators abound.
PBN: You recently were awarded $250,000 for an outreach program involving primary care doctors and the Rhode Island State Nurses Association. Can you explain how it will work?
KUMAR: This generous funding from the Rhode Island Foundation will allow us to establish Shape Up RI Doctors, a program designed to empower primary care physicians to “prescribe” wellness to their patients. We are actively recruiting doctors across the state who will give a wellness kit to each of their patients, encouraging them to join Shape Up RI and other effective community-based programs. We’ll set up a system to track how many patients are referred, which ones join and their outcomes. With permission, we will share that information with their physician.
PBN: What led you to develop that program? Do you believe that doctors are particularly good people to steer us toward fitness and weight loss?
KUMAR: As a medical student I see firsthand the absence of a focus on prevention and wellness. Time constraints and skewed incentives mean that few physicians get around to talking to their patients about nutrition, exercise, stress management and smoking cessation in a meaningful way. Research shows, however, that a physician’s endorsement is a powerful motivator for behavior change. People listen to their doctors. This initiative gives doctors a quick and easy tool to help their patients take personal responsibility for leading a healthy lifestyle.
PBN: You have also got a Shape Up RI Kids program. Can you tell me more about that?
KUMAR: It’s been a longstanding goal of mine to launch a program focused solely on kids. As childhood obesity rises, we face the threat of watching the first generation of Americans who live a shorter lifespan than their parents did. “Walk the World,” which we are piloting this fall with fifth-graders in public, private and charter schools, will use teamwork and competition to motivate kids to increase their physical activity while learning about health and wellness in various cultures throughout the world. We believe that the healthy behaviors they establish today will remain with them for a lifetime.
PBN: You also have a growing company, Shape Up The Nation. How is the company doing? How well have you managed to build your offerings and client base in this economy?
KUMAR: Shape Up The Nation is now serving more than 100 clients with employees in 26 countries. During tough times, employers focus on protecting their assets and reducing their liabilities. Promoting employee health is the best way to increase work force productivity, boost morale and reduce one of the largest cost centers – medical claims. As Congress undertakes health care reform, there is a strong push for employers to help reduce the cost of health care by investing in wellness programs like ours.
