Singapore-headquartered digital health and data analytics company Holmusk announced that it is offering a new coaching program in Singapore which reaches out to severely overweight children, youths and parents in a convenient manner using a non face-to-face approach and guides them to make healthy lifestyle changes.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT

The coaching program is targeted at children and youths who are severely overweight and/or have abnormal health screening results, such as elevated blood pressure or abnormal cholesterol levels. It aims to empower these children, youths and their parents with the knowledge and skills to improve their weight status and/or health outcomes.

The program is delivered via three monthly phone calls with a highly qualified health coach and Holmusk's proprietary mobile app, GlycoLeap. The app features photo-based food logging with dietary feedback and personalized coaching to drive positive and sustainable behavior changes.

For the next three years, Holmusk will be working with Singapore's Health Promotion Board (HPB), a statutory board under the Ministry of Health, to offer the phone coaching program to children and youths who are severely overweight and/or have abnormal health screening results.

THE LARGER TREND

Last month, Holmusk secured $21.5M in Series A funding led by Optum Ventures (OV) and Health Catalyst Capital (HCC) and included existing investors Heritas Capital and other individuals, MobiHealthNews reported.

According to a 2018 study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, the authors found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) counseling combined with an online health behavior change support system (HBCSS) helped subjects lose and maintain their weight. The trial recruited 532 people between the ages of 20 and 50 years that were categorized as overweight or obese (BMI 27-35).

ON THE RECORD

"There is a powerful opportunity here to instill in children, youths and parents the decision-making capacity for a healthy lifestyle. We are delighted to be able to bring Holmusk's capabilities in technology and health delivery to such meaningful use," said Dr Yau Teng Yan, Chief Medical Officer at Holmusk. 

"Together we can make a big difference in the health of our future generation in Singapore."