• New gym memberships in January alone cost estimated £3bn
• Of the 3m+ people who sign up to gyms, 500,000 will never go and 800,000 will visit once or twice a month – wasting £200million 
• Millions spent on dieting, weightloss clubs and diet pills, yet 1 in 3 adults will be obese by 2012
• New cost effective solution, MiLife, is proven to keep weight off

Almost 3.6 million people took out a new gym membership during the first two weeks of January 2008. With the average gym membership fee at £372 we are collectively paying almost £3 billion a year for our New Year’s resolutions in a bid to overcome our collective guilt [1].

In 2009 we can ill afford this expense, especially when at least half a million of us will never actually go to the gym, wasting approximately £200 million, and a further 800,000 will only visit once or twice a month [2]. It’s not just unused gym memberships that are costing £ millions. Thousands of people will also join dieting clubs or even try more extreme methods such as weight loss pills this January, so how much do they cost? 

Guidelines recommend a healthy weightloss of 1 to 2 lb a week (up to 1 kilo); up to 8lbs a month [3]. But how much does this cost pound £ for pound lb?

- Gym membership £32 a month = £4 for every lb
  -and that’s only if you’re one of those who goes to the gym after signing up
- Weight loss club £18 a month (Weight Watchers is £17.95/month) = £2.24 per lb
- Over The Counter drug (e.g. Alli from the US) £30 per month = £56 per lb according to latest research [4].

Even if you start off with the best intentions this January, most new year’s resolutions are not only costly, but also short lived.   There is, however, a new solution that is cost effective and easy to stick with; Available this January is a newly launched system which is more of a New Year’s Revolution than a doomed New Year’s Resolution.  Hailed by experts on both sides of the Atlantic as the health and fitness product for 2009, MiLife is the first online system proven to boost activity levels and get us in shape, and is set to break the mould of memberships that don’t deliver. 

So what is MiLife, and how does it work?

Using groundbreaking technology and a revolutionary online personalised coaching system, MiLife records your physical activity and weight helping people get, and more importantly stay in shape.  Developed after five years research and development, MiLife is a motivational tool that could literally change the shape of the nation.  An activity band is worn on the wrist or ankle and monitors all activity from running around the office, to walking the dog, cycling or swimming.  Smart scales record your weight and all information is transferred quickly and easily via wireless technology to a PC or MAC and is then analysed by the MiLife software, essentially an online coach, to give feedback on how you’re doing.  MiLife has published 3 expert trials and shown that 8 out of 10 members who lose weight are still better off 1 year later.

Results have shown sustained weightloss comparable to dieting clubs but £pound for lb pound it’s far cheaper.  Not only is MiLife the must have, affordable new health and fitness gadget, it is also the convenient solution that works with your lifestyle rather than against it.  MiLife helps you stay in shape 24/7 and only requires 10 minutes a week to upload your data. A bit like having your own personal trainer, but at a cost of just £99 (£149 for couples) for a full year’s service.  That’s just £8.25 a month, or just over £1 for one lb weightloss. 

Experts both sides of the Atlantic say MiLife is the answer.  John P. Foreyt, Ph.D., Director, Behavioural Medicine Research Centre, Houston, Texas says “MiLife is an engaging, evidence-based weight management tool.  It has been shown to help individuals eat better, exercise more, and lose weight. Highly-recommended.”

Dympna Pearson (RD), who has spear-headed behavioural techniques for dieticians in the NHS says, “MiLife is an evidence-based system which has been shown to achieve increased levels of activity, weight loss and accompanying reductions in blood pressure. It is an easy-to-use, highly motivational programme, which helps clients set their own goals to fit in with their lifestyle. The system helps individuals track their own progress which keeps them engaged in the process - this has resulted in high numbers staying with the programme. This is the best web-based programme that I have seen to date”

The Blood Pressure Association (BPA) comment that, “The simplicity of MiLife activity monitor and smart scales, combined with a personalised programme and progress tracker, make it an ideal system for people who want to get active and eat smarter – the best prescription for a healthy blood pressure.”

In the UK we typically spend 31 years on a diet, yet in England alone 13 million people will be obese by 2010 [5]. This proves we’re a nation of yo-yo dieters needing a new solution that integrates with our everyday lives, helps lose those excess pounds (and keep them off), and in the current economic climate is affordable.  MiLife is the must have revolutionary gadget to help you achieve your new year’s resolution come 2009.

[1] MSN Health
[2] MSN Health
[3] Department of Health
[4] Rucker. D et al (2007). British Medical Journal
[5] www.news.bbc.co.uk 2008