Remote nutrition: Lumen survey says 60% of employed users lost weight during pandemic using personalized metabolism tech
20 Aug 2021 --- Around 60 percent of employed Lumen users lost weight during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is according to a survey of 1,043 customers that consistently measured their metabolism with Lumen and who worked from home during the pandemic from August of 2020 and onward.
The results are surprising as the pandemic is a time when most US consumers reported gaining weight and experienced a general decline in their health.
“Lumen’s technology has been scientifically proven to accurately measure metabolic fuel usage when compared to the gold standard (RER) for measuring metabolism in multiple validation studies,” a spokesperson tells NutritionInsight.
“Together with personalized metabolism measurement from the device, the app recommends personalized nutrition based on what you're burning-carbs or fats. So it will give you the exact amount of macros and carb servings you need for the day.”
Cost of poor metabolism
Approximately 88 percent of US consumers suffer from poor metabolism which is at the root of major chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and elevated blood sugar levels.
Lumen is a device and health technology focused on improving metabolism, which is the key to sustainable health.Poor metabolic health has become a heavy burden on employers who spend an estimated US$2,525 per employee annually on medical costs across the US, the company says.
Lumen is a device and health technology focused on improving metabolism, which is the key to sustainable health. On average, Lumen users that measure their metabolism for 12 months improve their metabolism by 40 percent and lose 2 percent of their body weight monthly.
“CO2 concentration is measured using a unique breath maneuver, which is performed by inhaling a fixed volume of air through the Lumen device, holding it for ten seconds, and exhaling fully,” the spokesperson explains.
With Lumen drastically improving employee metabolism, the estimated employer cost savings is US$1.4 million per 1,000 employees, the company supports.
The pandemic on health
Lumen surveyed customers who mostly worked from home during the pandemic. Before Lumen was introduced in their wellness routine, users reported finding it very difficult to manage their nutrition, especially when it came to their weight.
Over 45 percent of users working from home reported gaining weight during the pandemic and before using Lumen.
Prior to using Lumen, users reported feeling out of control of their health, with 40 percent saying their metabolism had declined.
For most of the employed Lumen users surveyed, their experience with Lumen as a remote nutrition and wellness tool was seen as valuable. With the challenges of staying healthy at home, Lumen was seen as a crucial tool to stay on track nutritionally.
Over 60 percent of Lumen users reported losing weight from home. The majority (78 percent) claimed their knowledge about nutrition drastically improved since using Lumen. Two out of three users also felt their well-being had improved.
Corporate use
Furthermore, employed Lumen users mostly agreed that Lumen would be of great value for employees in a corporate offering setting. They also reported that personalized nutrition was lacking in their current employer wellness offering.
Approximately 88 percent of US consumers suffer from poor metabolism – the root of chronic conditions.About 80 percent of Lumen users that work from home agreed that employees who are offered Lumen by their employer are likely to highly benefit from it.
Meanwhile, 87 percent reported not being offered any personalized nutrition tools by employers to manage their weight and health.
Nearly a third of respondents reported feeling positively impacted by Lumen for being more present and efficient at work.
Virgin Pulse partnership
This past spring, Lumen partnered with Virgin Pulse, a global provider of digital and live health and wellbeing solutions. This made its metabolism-driven personalized nutrition service available through Virgin Pulse to employers and health plans worldwide.
As a certified global partner, Lumen eliminates administrative burdens for employers and health plans associated with product configuration, separate contracting, privacy and security vetting, and invoicing.
Eligible Virgin Pulse members can now monitor their metabolic health progress from the comfort of their home and avoid lengthy clinical lab tests.
Members will receive real-time Virgin Pulse rewards delivered via API for completing Lumen activities including daily metabolic measurements and improving metabolic health.
Moreover, in collaboration with San Francisco State University, Lumen has been peer-reviewed and has validated an ongoing study launched in 2020.
The study shows the effectiveness of Lumen to detect changes in metabolic fuel utilization in a comparable manner with a laboratory standard metabolic cart, providing the ability for real-time metabolic information for users under any circumstances.
By Kristiana Lalou
