FAIRFIELD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NYSE: GE) – In advance of the 2012 London Olympic Games, today GE announced the launch of a new Facebook app called HealthyShare, a new tool for people to share health goals, track progress against goals and use friends as sources of inspiration and motivation toward better health. The app makes it easier for consumers to kick start their health goals using the 17 days of the Olympic Games as a time to stay motivated around improving their health.
“Whether your goal is to lose weight, walk more or pursue an Olympic dream, GE believes that your friends can be good for your health. We want to give consumers a platform to get motivated around better health tapping into the Olympic spirit,” said Linda Boff, global executive director, digital, advertising and design, GE. “HealthyShare makes it easy for consumers to take something they are already doing – interacting with their friends online – and extend it in a fun and meaningful way around getting healthier.”
Paul Adams, global head of brand design for Facebook said, “Many research studies show that our friends can help us live healthier lives. By supporting each other, we increase people's motivation, helping them meet their goals of feeling better, and being healthier and happier. This new tool by GE is the first step in a vision to help people be healthier by interacting with their friends. The plan is to learn quickly from this release and continually improve this tool together in the coming months.”
The initial phase of the HealthyShare app is focused on fitness and helping people achieve and exceed their health and well-being goals one step at a time with the support of their online community and a little inspiration from Olympians.
Once people install the HealthyShare app on Facebook, they can commit to healthy choices:
- Get Moving. A simple walk can raise LDL (good cholesterol) and lower HDL (bad cholesterol), lower your blood pressure, help manage your weight, improve sleep, and bolsters the immune system.
- Eat Healthier. Whether it’s more protein or less fat, fewer calories or extra veggies, try changing just one thing that you eat or drink, and soon you’ll be on a healthier routine that you can keep for the rest of your life.
- Workout like an Olympian. Olympic hopefuls Kevin Durant and Alex Morgan and Olympians Michael Johnson and Summer Sanders joined together to support HealthyShare by providing their fitness routines to inspire others to reach higher, go further, run faster, dream bigger, do better and live longer.
After making a declaration, HealthyShare becomes part of a person’s Facebook timeline. The app can be shared with friends who will become a part of the journey to better health by following progress, providing encouragement and even participating alongside each other.
“I couldn’t have gotten to where I am today without the people I respect challenging me to get to the top of my game,” said Kevin Durant, 2012 U.S. Olympic Hopeful, Men’s Basketball. “All it takes is that first step and pretty soon good fitness becomes a habit. I hope people will take my HealthyShare challenge and feel inspired to take that step.”
For more information on HealthyShare, visit www.facebook.com/healthy
Join
the HealthyShare conversation #healthyshare
About GE and the Olympic Games
GE is the exclusive provider of a wide range of innovative products and services that are integral to staging a successful Olympic Games. GE works closely with host countries, cities and organizing committees to provide infrastructure solutions for Olympic venues including power, lighting, water treatment and transportation. GE also supplies local hospitals with diagnostic imaging equipment and healthcare IT solutions like ultrasound, MRI and electronic medical record technologies to help doctors treat athletes. For more information, please visit http://www.ge.com/news/olympic_games/index.html.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and helping to cure the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.