- By Admin
- 2024-04-01
How LeanOnMe began
LeanOnMe really began around 2008 when in The Netherlands the idea took hold based on the following realization: Obesity is a growing public health challenge worldwide with significant health and economic impacts. The World Healthcare Organization (WHO) has declared obesity an epidemic and the largest healthcare threat for the coming century. In the current upward trend, the WHO calculated that before 2050, more than half of the world population will suffer from obesity.
In the United States (US), more than two-thirds of adults are now overweight and one-third is obese. Not only does this have the obvious health consequences but has a large economic impact. Research to date has identified at least four major categories of economic impact linked with the obesity epidemic: direct medical costs, productivity costs, transportation costs, and human capital costs. Substantial economic impacts of obesity are identified in all four categories by existing research. The magnitude of potential economic impact underscores the importance of the obesity epidemic as a focus for policy and a topic for future research.
So back to 2008 and a clinic was born with a particular type of program. Dealing with obesity as a food addiction. With the careful design and interaction with the patients the clinic achieved remarkable results: 60% of people had maintained their weight loss after five years. This is remarkable because the success of traditional weight loss programs is OK, but sustained weight loss is often seen at between 3% to 10%. During a particularly rainy period during the COVID lock down in 2021 the idea was born to digitize the program concept by a couple of seasoned founding fathers.
The founders of the digital program, LeanOnMe have a particular background suitable to the initiative. In close and constant collaboration with the original program creator. The founders have complimentary backgrounds in Sales and Marketing, IT, App development and Psychology.
Having recruited a core team of young and dynamic scientists with great track records and PhD’s and an experienced (20 years) clinical psychologist to lead the development of the program the story unfolds. We also created, as soon as possible, a board of advisors comprising of practicing surgical and substance addiction doctors, university staff for ethics and ‘C’ level management to maintain perspective and provide insights into our growth on the crucial aspects of respect, ethics, legal, financial, process and scaling.
The combination of old heads and young vigor creates a stimulating, exciting and energized team spirit. People are recruited with a paramount focus on caring for the world and solving people’s problems foremost in their mind.