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Leader Helps Students, Employees Get on Track

 

Astute Inside Track readers will remember our March profile of PreventObesity.net Leader James Chapman, who created a website that allows students to log what they eat each day and earn prizes for choosing healthy food.  

Now the website developer is back with a new tracking website, this one designed to help schools and businesses implement wellness policies for students and employees using the “95210” initiative. And just like his previous site, 95210.org is designed to reward users for making healthy choices.

An initiative of a coalition of community groups and health experts in the Tallahassee, Fla., region, the 95210 concept encourages people each day to get at least nine hours sleep, eat five servings of fruits and vegetables, limit recreational screen time to two hours or less, get at least one hour of physical activity and consume zero sugary drinks or tobacco products.

The 95210.org website was specifically created to help spread the 95210 message by developing an easy way for people to track whether they are reaching those health goals, Chapman says. Users log-in to the website (or use an application on their smart phone) and log their progress throughout the day.

When 95210.org users meet their goals, they earn points. Individuals or teams can compete with each other to see who can earn the most points — for example, classrooms could compete to see which the healthiest class at school is. Eventually, Chapman and his team hope to allow users to use their points for a chance to earn gift cards for local or online businesses.

“Right now, the tracking is pretty easy, but you earn these points and then what? There’s nothing really to do with the points once you earn them,” Chapman says. “It’s nice to track different aspects of your health. … If there’s no incentive, a lot of people drop out.”

The Leon County government in Florida and a small bank in Minnesota currently are taking part in pilot projects of the program. Both are expected to sign-up for their full staffs for the program starting Jan. 1, Chapman says.

Along with tracking the 95210 concept, individual schools or businesses can add specific categories that can be tracked, such as making sure people took their daily medications and supplements and received their yearly flu shot, Chapman says.

“There can be any number of categories and within those categories, any number of tasks,” Chapman says. “It’s another way to gain points, and it’s another way for the business or school to gather more information.”

Access to the 95210.org tracking system is currently provided to businesses for 49 cents per user, while schools can pay the 49 cents per user fee for their staff but receive free access for students and teachers, Chapman says. Each business or school receives a monthly report that details how their members are doing so they can track the success of their wellness program, Chapman says.

Click here to connect with James Chapman.