Sensei For Weight Loss Releases New Version Promoting Healthy Nutrition On An Affordable Budget

Dec. 18, 2008 - PRLog -- Sensei Inc. (www.senseicorp.com), a pioneer in mobile and Web-based wellness solutions, today introduced the next generation platform of its award-winning approach to health and weight management, Sensei for Weight Loss™ ( http://www.sensei.com). The highly anticipated release includes new features such as a budget-friendly version of its popular meal planner, as well as a “Favorites” tab. The program is also now available in the App Store for iPhone and iTouch users.

      Proving that eating healthful foods on a budget is not an oxymoron, Sensei dieticians and nutritionists added these options to provide the planning and advice necessary to eat well and save money.  The new budget-friendly version automatically creates weekly menus customized to suit individual preferences and optimized to reduce food bills. The “Favorites” tab enables users to flag their favorite ingredients or meals, as well as weekly sale items at their local grocer, and have them incorporated into their weekly meal plans.  

      Current subscribers to Sensei, a program that transforms a consumer’s’ mobile phone and desktop into their own “personal digital coach” (PDC), will notice a newly enhanced Web site that is richer in functionality and easier to navigate. The new program will be priced at $15/month for Web-only access, and $20/month for mobile and Web access, which is comparatively cheaper than most weight-loss programs currently on the market.

      “Consumers are under the impression that in order to achieve a healthier lifestyle, specifically to eat more healthful and nutritious meals, they have to spend more money.  Sensei for Weight Loss proves that this simply is not the case,” said Dr. Robert Schwarzberg, a respected cardiologist and Sensei chief executive officer.

       Schwarzberg notes that Sensei is dramatically different from other weight-loss programs on the market and the first to offer a budget-friendly option as another way to engage consumers in learning to live a healthier lifestyle, leading to long-term weight loss.  With the new budget-friendly plan, consumers receive the same number of calories as Sensei’s normal meal plan, but with a potential monthly savings of nearly $100.  One Sensei user, Michelle, reports a monthly saving of $200 for her two-person household. “With the cost of food skyrocketing, Sensei is an ideal solution – both from a nutritional and financial standpoint,” said Schwarzberg.  He notes that Sensei is also ideal for the growing number of Do-It-Yourself dieters, who prefer meal flexibility to the rigid structure and financial commitment required by other commercial weight-loss programs.

      Compared to the overall monthly costs of Slim-Fast ($609.68); Weight Watchers ($686.64/online program); and Jenny Craig ($812.23/center-based or online program),* Sensei for Weight Loss has an average overall monthly cost of $275, depending on individual preferences.

      The budget-friendly option will further reduce the monthly cost to less than $250.
The program follows a holistic approach to weight loss, delivering customized meal recommendations, weekly shopping lists, fitness reminders and motivational messages to a user’s mobile phone display or personal Web page – prompting consumers at point-of-decision moments to make healthier choices.  

   Based on the science of behavioral informatics and Social Cognitive Theory – the use of technology to promote behavior change – Sensei for Weight Loss empowers and educates users to develop healthy eating habits. Unlike the rigid “calorie-counting” techniques of conventional weight-loss tools, the Sensei program is built around the individual needs and daily lifestyle of the user. This approach results from more than two years of development by Sensei psychologists, physicians, nutritionists and engineers.

   Sensei for Weight Loss, available on most BlackBerries, as well as on most AT&T and Sprint mobile phones, leverages mobility by providing constant communication and support.  It accommodates the spur-of-the-moment menu changes that challenge most dieters.  For example, if a user plans a home-made lunch but then decides to eat out, Sensei for Weight LossTM can recommend an alternative meal that fits within the user’s nutrition plan and deliver the recommendation instantly, via the user’s mobile phone.
With health and wellness solutions as its primary focus, Sensei (http://www.senseicorp.com) was formed in 2005 by Humana Inc.  -- one of the nation’s largest publicly traded health benefits companies. This healthcare leader has lent its support to Sensei, considering the dramatic health consequences and significant economic burden that obesity poses to individuals and corporations.

To enroll in Sensei For Weight Loss™ or for additional information, visit http://www.sensei.com

*All figures from the National Business Research Institute (NBRI), 2008

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About Sensei

Headquartered in Boca Raton, FL, Sensei Inc. is a developer of innovative mobile and Web-based solutions that motivate and empower consumers to take charge of their well-being. Future programs that are planned include solutions for diabetes, hypertension, smoking, cardiovascular risk, stress and asthma. Sensei was formed in 2005 by Humana Inc. . Sensei’s executive team consists of experienced professionals in the fields of wireless technology, behavioral psychology, medicine, nutrition and software development.