Every statistic and claim on this site is traceable to a specific source. Below is a
complete source-to-claims reference — organized by publication, with each claim
linked to where it appears on the site.
One in four Americans with medical debt has considered bankruptcy
41% of U.S. residents carry some form of medical debt, including on credit cards or owed to family.
Used in: The Problem — Employees Can't Afford Coverage
5 Springbuk / Fitbit Wearable Workplace Wellness Study
Springbuk Health Intelligence & Fitbit
Referenced in: Wearable Technology: Unlocking the ROI of Workplace Wellness
Engaged wearable users cost $1,242 less per year than control group employees
Measured after two years of a workplace wearable wellness program.
Used in: Stats Bar
Total healthcare costs for engaged wearable users dropped 46% over two years
Compared to a 14% drop for non-engaged users in the same time period.
Used in: Stats Bar • The Science — 46% Cost Drop
Costs for less active individuals decreased by 59% ($3,543) over two years
The least active users at baseline saw the largest cost reductions, indicating the program benefits those most in need.
Used in: The Science — 46% Cost Drop
Medical claims decreased 24.7% for wearable opt-in group vs. 9.3% for control
Significant cost savings occurred below 10,000 daily steps; even ~6,477 steps yielded the greatest cost reduction.
Used in: The Science — 24.7% Claims Decrease
6 Zhang, Brackbill, Yang & Centola (2015) — UPenn Social Media & Physical Activity RCT
“Efficacy and causal mechanism of an online social media intervention to increase physical activity”
University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg School for Communication, 2015 — Randomized Controlled Trial, n=217, 13 weeks
Social condition participants were 170% more likely to enroll in 6+ exercise classes (OR=4.1, p<0.001)
Anonymous peer networks significantly outperformed promotional messaging. The social condition maintained elevated enrollment rates throughout the study; media condition effects attenuated to control levels.
Used in: Solution — Team Competition • The Science — 170% More Likely • Five Pillars — Anonymous Peer Competition
7 Fitbit Social Connectedness White Paper
Fitbit, Inc. — Study of 44,000 Fitbit users
For each additional social connection, participants walked an average of 6.5 more steps per day
Demonstrates that social network size directly correlates with physical activity levels. Social networks shape health norms.
Loss-framed incentives outperform gain-framed incentives for achieving physical activity goals
In a 26-week study (n=281, goal: 7,000 steps/day), participants given rewards upfront with threat of loss achieved significantly higher step counts than those earning rewards for activity. Validates the behavioral economics principle of loss aversion applied to exercise.
Used in: The Science — Loss Aversion • Five Pillars — Loss Aversion Mechanics
“The impact of financial incentives on physical activity for employees in the context of workplace health promotion: a systematic review”
PMC/PubMed, 2024 — 29 studies, 9,604 participants https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11662443/
81% of studies (17 of 21) reported positive short-term effects of financial incentives on physical activity
Financial incentives had a moderate effect during interventions and a small effect during follow-up. Daily step counts showed clinically significant improvements of at least 1,000 steps/day. Wearable device use and goal-setting amplified results.
Employee benefits add 30–40% on top of base salary
Benefits account for nearly 30% of total compensation on average. The average private industry worker costs $43.78/hour in total compensation — 30% benefits, 70% wages.
Used in: The Problem — Costs Are Unsustainable
12 CDC Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition
Adults need at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity activity (or 75 minutes vigorous); additional benefits at 300 minutes/week
Plus 2+ days/week of muscle-strengthening activity involving all major muscle groups. Activity episodes should be spread throughout the week. These guidelines remain current through 2025.
Used in: Solution — CDC-Aligned Standards • How It Works • Five Pillars — SMART Goal Framework
13 Exercise Dropout & Adherence Research
American Journal of Preventive Medicine / American Heart Association / Kravitz, Ph.D. — “Exercise Motivation: What Starts and Keeps People Exercising?”
50% of people who start an exercise program drop out within the first 6 months
Consistently supported across multiple studies and health organizations. Key dropout predictors include unrealistic expectations, low self-worth, poor body image, and lack of social support. Self-efficacy is the #1 psychological predictor of adherence.
Used in: The Problem — Wellness Programs Don't Work • Five Pillars — Predictive Non-Adherence Detection
An estimated 30% of U.S. healthcare spending — over $1.5 trillion annually — is lost to waste, fraud, and abuse
Based on 10% fraud + 20% waste estimates applied to current total healthcare spending exceeding $5 trillion. In 2025, the DOJ charged 324 defendants for schemes involving $14.6 billion in intended loss.
Used in: The Science — $1.5 Trillion Lost Annually
15 Wearable Technology Adoption in Workplace Wellness
U.S. healthcare spending as a share of GDP and per capita vastly exceeds other OECD nations
Charts used on site are sourced from PGPF; data corroborated by OECD Health at a Glance 2025 showing U.S. at $14,900 per capita vs. OECD average of $5,967.
Used in: The Problem — OECD Chart • For Employers — Spending Trends Chart
17 CDC SMART Objectives Evaluation Guide
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
The CDC's standardized framework for health intervention goal-setting. Applied in HealthWorks to set exercise targets aligned with physical activity guidelines.
Used in: Solution — AI-Powered Personalization • Five Pillars — SMART Goal Framework
18 Additional Physical Activity & Health Guidelines
Referenced as foundational standards for activity thresholds in the HealthWorks platform
American Heart Association — Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults
heart.org — Aligns with CDC 150 min/week moderate-intensity threshold.
Used in: Solution — CDC-Aligned Standards
U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) — Physical Activity Guidelines
health.gov — Federal guidelines that form the basis for HealthWorks activity rule-sets.
Used in: Solution — CDC-Aligned Standards • How It Works
WHO — Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) metrics
who.int — Standard mortality and morbidity metric used to quantify health impact of physical activity interventions.