14 DAY TRIAL // WebMD Health Corp., a provider of health information services for regular users as well as physicians and healthcare professionals, has announced Healthy Target, that collects biometric device data to deliver physician-reviewed info to develop sustainable health-conscious habits.
Available through the updated WebMD iPhone app, Healthy Target translates step, sleep, weight and blood glucose data from biometric devices sold by the likes of Entra, Fitbit, UP by Jawbone and Withings.
The data is converted into actionable insights, while iPhone 5s users can take things even further by tracking their steps with the help of the built-in M7 coprocessor. Users can also input biometric data manually.
The tool is said to be especially useful for people looking to manage chronic conditions like Type 2 diabetes and obesity.
“WebMD’s Healthy Target empowers consumers to make behavioral changes that can improve their physical and mental health,” says Dr. Michael Smith, chief medical editor at WebMD. “To achieve successful, sustainable behavioral change, consumers must learn how to track and manage the factors that contribute to healthy living.”
Healthy Target proposes fitness goals while also informing and educating users with the most up-to-date content reviewed by real physicians and mapped against attainable user goals.
“Consumers will appreciate the ease of incorporating their biometric data into our Healthy Target program and the health insights and recommendations offered to help them sustain a healthier life,” explains David Ziegler, director of product management for WebMD. “With more than 40%1 of consumers using mobile devices to access health information, the time is right for a mobile app that can help translate data into life-improving insights.”
It suggests healthy habits too. In fact, goal setting is one of WebMD’s key features as it enables users to choose from six goals: 1) lose weight 2) eat healthier 3) be more active 4) control blood sugar 5) sleep better 6) feel better.
With a selected goal in front of you, Healthy Target will recommend healthy habits that have proved to work for others. Habits can be easy, medium, and hard, and users start a new habit at the easy level, progressing towards the more efficient modules on a weekly basis.
It’s easy to understand the science behind healthy living with Healthy Target because it offers graphics that depict the changes in their sleep, step counts, weight, and blood sugar over time.
Finally, users get weekly recaps in order to analyze their success towards achieving a healthier life. Visit http://www.webmd.com/webmdapp to learn more about Healthy Target, or download the WebMD app straight from iTunes now. Apple itself is taking on health & fitness with an all-new Health app (and a HealthKit API for developers) in iOS 8, launching this fall.