The unusual project is a marriage of new technology and a scientifically proven approach to diabetes prevention and weight loss. It has the potential to make such methods available on a much larger scale in a country where obesity and diabetes are a huge, costly problem.
Starting Monday, Comcast customers in Philadelphia, the four suburban Pennsylvania counties, and Camden and Gloucester Counties will be able to sign up for the free, yearlong study at www.projectnotmedp.com. Each of the 320 chosen will be given a scale, a calorie counter, and an exercise journal. They'll be paid $100 each if they continue to participate. Other viewers will also be able to watch the 16 episodes of the show, Not Me, free of charge, but they won't get the oversight that experts say really helps people lose weight.
The show will be available starting Feb. 27.
It follows the now-familiar reality format as six Minnesotans struggling with their weight go through the National Diabetes Prevention Program. Among the keys to its success are taking steps like keeping food journals and reporting weight that bring outside accountability to dieters.
If the approach works, it could create new business opportunities in health-care education for Comcast. For UnitedHealth, which has 38 million insurance subscribers and which also sells wellness programs, an effective television-based weight-loss program could be an appealing product for employers and a way to lower the costs of overweight subscribers.
"Our goal here is to find out does this work?" said Mark Coblitz, senior vice president of strategic planning for Comcast. "We are generally interested in finding out where a company like Comcast might be able to add value in the health-care world."
