Employee Wellness:

Two Parts Perspiration,

One Part Persistence
With employee health affecting bottom lines, organizations
need to support preemptive initiatives that encourage
both personal wellness and quantifiable results. Heres how
we are addressing this major challenge.

Executive Summary
Between January and June this year, 127 Cognizant employees could
have walked halfway to the moon. Their cumulative footsteps covered
half of the 238,000-mile distance and theyre still walking.
This group has taken nearly 200 million steps as part of iCommit2Fit,
an innovative wellness improvement program that we designed and
piloted for our associates in five U.S. locations. The voluntary program
combines personal commitment, technology, incentives and coaching.
At the close of the six-month pilot, virtually all of our participants have
substantially increased and sustained their physical activity levels while
losing weight and seeing significant improvements in their Body Mass
Index (BMI) ratios.
What sets iCommit2Fit apart is the personalized, one-to-one coaching
deployed to help associates outfitted with Fitbit wearable smart
bands to monitor their physical activity, with the goal of improving
their wellness. While wearable smart bands like Fitbit are all the rage,
they are no wellness elixir.1 The reason? While great at automating data
collection without any human intervention, the current generation of
devices cant instruct users on ways to increase their physical activity
today or tomorrow, much less next week or month. The bottom line: to

KEEP CHALLENGING October 2014

improve their wellness, humans need the counsel and encouragement of

fellow carbon-based beings to increase their physical activity, improve
their nutrition and adopt healthier lifestyles.
In fact, our findings show that participants who attended the coaching
sessions without fail recorded activity levels and weight loss that were
almost 75% higher than the levels for participants who missed coaching
sessions. Equipped with the knowledge gained from this pilot, we are set
to expand the program to 1,400 more employees across the U.S.
This whitepaper shares the lessons we learned from the pilot program
and our ideas for improving the wellness of our associates so that other
enterprises can improve their wellness initiatives. Doing so is a matter
of health for both employees and employers, alike. Consider that the
medical costs associated with obesity are estimated at $190.2 billion
per year, or 20.6% of national health expenditures.2 Employers offering
health insurance bear a portion of these costs and have a stake in
helping employees lead more active, healthier lifestyles.

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS: TWO PARTS PERSPIRATION, ONE PART PERSISTENCE

iCommit2Fit in Action
When designing iCommit2Fit, we hypothesized that proactive, personalized and
technologically savvy support was necessary to help individuals embrace and
sustain behaviors that improve health and prevent or alleviate chronic health
conditions. The healthcare industry is already measuring patient activation rates
as a way of predicting which individuals will consume more healthcare services and/
or succeed in managing their existing health conditions.3
We solicited voluntary applications for iCommit2Fit from five Cognizant facilities
across the U.S., located in the South, Southwest, Midwest and Southeast. Applicants
were reviewed for any pre-existing health conditions that could preclude their participation; those selected were equipped with a Fitbit activity tracker.
From an iCommit2Fit participants perspective, the requirements were simple: wear
the activity tracker to capture daily steps walked; log food intake in a daily digital
diary; upload data on a weekly basis; and participate in weekly coaching sessions
via telephone (see Figure 1). On the back-end, we used the data capture and personalized coaching capabilities of our HealthActivate patient engagement platform to
administer the program (see sidebar, page 7).

iCommit2Fit Data Flows

Daily food
logging

Periodic
webinars

Weekly nutrition
e-mails

Daily step goals

Portal/
Personal Coach

Weekly step
count upload
via activity monitor

Weekly virtual
meeting with coach

Figure 1
All participants reported their pre-program daily step baseline. Based on
that measure, each participants coach set a daily step goal for the first
month of the program. If a participant easily met or exceeded that goal, the coach
would increase it.
Devices were synchronized with participants smartphones or laptop dongles, then
uploaded directly from Fitbit to the Cognizant HealthActivate portal. Laptops
equipped with the Fitbit software were available at several office locations for use

KEEP CHALLENGING

October 2014

by participants without smartphones or with data synchronization issues. To ensure

consistent and accurate results across all participants, we disabled the manual data
entry feature. Thus, all step counts came from the devices; none were estimated by
participants.
In addition to weekly phone-based coaching sessions, participants received personalized e-mails with observations and advice from coaches. If a participant was
meeting step goals but not losing the desired weight, a coach might examine the
food log and note an abundance of fried or fatty foods and suggest alternatives.

Four Times around the Earth

During the pilot which ran from January 2014 to June 2014 the 127 participants
cumulatively took almost 200 million steps, or approximately 100,000 miles. To put
this into perspective, the circumference of the earth is almost 25,000 miles. The
participants also cumulatively lost three-quarters of a ton of weight.
The iCommit2Fit participants started out at a higher weekly step average than the
Cognizant corporate benchmark, the U.S. average and the Fitbit user average (see
Figure 2). From January to June, participants increased their weekly step counts
from an average baseline of 36,500 across all groups to 75,000, an improvement of
105% and more than twice the American daily step average. Participants doubled
their own baseline steps as well as the average American baseline steps, while
consistently attaining 10,000 steps per day,
as recommended by the American Heart
Average Daily Steps
Association, and reaching 30 minutes of
moderate physical activity per day as recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General.
80K
All participants improved their step counts,
with the largest percentage increases achieved
in the Overweight and Obese 1 and 2 BMI
categories, indicating much greater activity
by those participants (see Figure 3, next page).
BMI reduction is a critically important metric;
for example, the risk rate of acquiring chronic
diseases increases substantially as people go
from Overweight to Obese 1, and from Obese 1
to Obese 2. Members of the Obese 1 and Obese
2 categories in the 41 to 50 age range posted
the greatest weight loss by percentage (see
Figure 4, next page).

Comparison
iCommit2Fit
Average

70K

60K

50K
Fitbit Average

40K

U.S. Average
Cognizant Baseline

30K
JAN.

FEB.

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

Figure 2

From January to June, participants increased their weekly

step counts from an average baseline of 36,500 across
all groups to 75,000, an improvement of 105% and more than
twice the American daily step average.

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS: TWO PARTS PERSPIRATION, ONE PART PERSISTENCE

Average Step Gain

by BMI Category
NORMAL

80K
70K

OVERWEIGHT

OBESE 1

76

72

OBESE 2

72

70

60K
50K
40K

44
36

30K

34

31

20K
10K
0

= STEPS AFTER 6 MONTHS

Figure 3

Average Weight Loss

by BMI Category
NORMAL

OVERWEIGHT

OBESE 1

The BMI reductions enabled nearly 27% of our

participants to move to new BMI categories.
Thirteen participants who began the program
in the Obese 2 category lost enough weight
to improve to the Obese 1 category (see Figure
6, page 8). Nineteen people reduced their BMI
enough to move from the Obese 1 category to
Overweight.

The BMI improvements among participants in the

Overweight and Obese categories, coupled with
their increased step counts, suggest that these
individuals made significant lifestyle changes.
Further, our data indicates that the support structure underlying
iCommit2Fit was a significant influence on those results.

= BASE STEPS

250

The weight loss significantly reduced BMI

measures in all of our participants, with the
greatest reductions coming in the Obese 1 and 2
categories (see Figure 5, next page). These individuals recorded the lowest baseline step counts
of all program participants.

OBESE 2

(lbs.)

The Coaching Difference

Not surprisingly, the participants who followed all the program
requirements weekly step goals, daily food logging and weekly
coach meetings saw the greatest average weight loss, or 20
pounds. Conversely, those with the lowest compliance rates lost
about five pounds on average.

200
150

Personalized weekly coaching had a strong impact on participant

results.

100
50
0
= STARTING WEIGHT

Figure 4

= WEIGHT AFTER 6 MONTHS

Roughly 15% of participants who had 100% coaching compliance

that is, they did not miss a single coaching session took 54% more
steps and lost twice as much weight as those who had 95% coaching
compliance rates. They took 70% more steps than those with the
lowest compliance rate and lost three times as much weight (see
Figures 7 and 8, pages 9 and 10, respectively).

In other words, participants with 95% compliance rates missed only two of 23
meetings, yet lost only half the weight and took slightly more than half the steps
of those who made it to all their coaching sessions. Similarly, the group with the
lowest compliance rates missed about three meetings, lost only about a quarter of
the weight and took only about 30% of the steps of those in the 100% group (see
Figure 9, page 10).

The BMI reductions enabled nearly 27% of our

participants to move to new BMI categories.

KEEP CHALLENGING

October 2014

Roughly 15% of participants who had 100% coaching

compliance took 54% more steps and lost twice as much
weight as those who had 95% coaching compliance rates.
These results signal to us the value and impact of the personalized and
consistent expert coaching underlying iCommit2Fit. They also complement
studies showing that workplace health programs tailored to an individuals
personal goals can lead to increases of up to 35% in the amount of time a
person will spend in physical activity.4

Improvement by BMI
Weight Category
50

NORMAL

OVERWEIGHT

OBESE 1

40

41

Healthy Optimism
Our initial pilot program was not long enough in duration or large enough
in participant numbers to draw conclusions about the impact of increased
activity and weight loss on employee productivity or health claim costs.
However, we are optimistic about achieving positive results. For instance,
greater activity and improved BMI should contribute to reduced healthcare
costs. It is estimated that obesity-related productivity losses cost employers
$225.9 billion per year, with an obese employee costing employers an
additional $460 to $2,500 in medical care and sick days over the average
annual individual healthcare cost of $3,000 per person.5

32.4

30
28.2 27.2

20

OBESE 2

38.3

30.5

23.5 22.8

10
0
= BASE BMI

= BMI June 2014

Figure 5

Quick Take
Cognizants Connected Health Solution
The HealthActivate platform combines bring your own health device (BYOhD) data
collection capabilities with analytics and virtual and live coaching to offer a nextgeneration care management platform. The platform accepts data from virtually
any BYOhD that an individual might use, from an activity tracker to an in-home
blood sugar testing device to a wireless scale.
Our analytics engine reviews this data and alerts coaches to any anomalies
requiring intervention. Some interventions are automatic and virtual, such as an
instant message or e-mail; at other times, coaches (who are trained nurses) will
call the individual to find out why a medicine dosage was missed or to determine
whether a sudden weight gain indicates a serious problem. The platform helps individuals on the cusp of chronic conditions to become healthier and enables participants who are managing diabetes, heart conditions, etc. to do so more effectively
and avoid acute care episodes.

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS: TWO PARTS PERSPIRATION, ONE PART PERSISTENCE

BMI Category Changes

JAN.

JUNE

JAN.

JUNE

19

13

Moved to
Obese 2

Moved to
Overweight

Moved to
Obese 1

Obese 1

23
Remained
Obese 1

43

Obese 2

43

30
Remained
Obese 2

Figure 6

But as noted by the American Heart Association, regular exercise, such

as 10,000 daily steps, reduces coronary heart disease in women by 30%
to 40%, while moderately active people see their stroke risk reduced by
20% and highly active people by 27%.6 We are hopeful that participants
will see improved health as they continue their steps, while we closely monitor the
impact of greater employee wellness on health costs as we expand the program.

Nineteen people reduced their BMI enough to

move from the Obese 1 category to Overweight, while
two participants went to Normal from Obese 1.
Lessons Learned
While we are very pleased with the results of the first phase of iCommit2Fit, the
pilot participants taught us a variety of lessons and raised issues that we hope to
address in the expanded program.

Device details. It is critical to use a reliable activity tracker that also largely
automates the data upload process. We selected the Fitbit, both for these capabilities and its name recognition. It is important to have extra devices on hand:
When a tracker was lost or stopped working for any reason, participant activity
quickly dropped.
As iCommit2Fit grows, we will watch for more advanced devices that can track
a wider range of physical activities and convert them to a meaningful measure.
Potential exercise movement to capture includes swimming, weight-lifting, yoga,
etc. As participants become more fit, they might be more likely to participate in
activities that our activity tracker cannot capture.

KEEP CHALLENGING

October 2014

Quick Take
The Criticality of BMI-based Weight Categories
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a mathematical formula that uses an individuals height and
weight to evaluate whether he or she is at a healthy weight. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is
considered healthy, while a reading of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. Researchers and clinicians divide obesity into three categories: Class I (3034.9), Class
II (3539.9) and Class III (40). Class III is further divided into super-obesity
(BMI 5059) and super-super obesity (BMI 60+).10
What we found in our pilot program is that as participants lose weight
and begin to transfer from one BMI category to the next, it is crucial
for them to realize that meeting their goal is not enough; they must
sustain it. One way that we work to ensure goal maintenance is through
high-intensity interval training. We believe that when coaches encourage
individuals to increase the intensity of their workouts, it poses a new and
different challenge to the participants and results in a sustainable loss.
Research has found that people on diets typically lose 5% to 10% of their starting weight
in the first six months. However, at least one- to two-thirds of people on diets regain more
weight than they lost within four or five years, and the true number may well be significantly
higher.11 This is why we extended our pilot from three to six months and hope to extend the
program indefinitely in the future.

Going beyond step counts. We will also explore whether and

how to incorporate other wellness activities into the program to help participants maintain their weight loss. To accomplish this, we will actively track the wearable industry
as devices become more mature and are able to capture
activities beyond steps. Many smaller companies are beginning to engineer devices that capture body-weight exercises (i.e., push-ups, squats and crunches), swimming,
strength-training and other activities. As devices become more
mature and able to track additional activities beyond walking
and running, our coaches will be further trained in exercise
therapy to offer a wider array of services.
Limits of the BMI. While the BMI is widely used as a measure,
it is only a mathematical estimate of a persons weight category and cannot take into account body fat percentage or bone
structure. A person weighing 145 lbs and measuring 58 in
height could be very fit or they could be carrying more body
fat than muscle mass (see above sidebar).

25

iCommit2Fit
Performance Rankings

20
Average Weight Loss (lbs.)

Impact of Weekly Coach

Meetings on Weight Loss

= TOP 15%

20.2

= MIDDLE 70%

15

= BOTTOM 15%

10

10.8
5.4

MISSED 3

MISSED 2

MISSED NONE

Number of Coaching Meetings Missed

Changes in body fat percentage would be a more accurate

Figure 7
measure of wellness, but obtaining this reading is more intrusive
and resource-intensive. Home health devices that offer body fat measurement
could be evaluated.

The incentive effect. We experimented with three types of incentives: individual,

worksite-based and team-based. Individuals could earn congratulatory e-mails,
color bands for their trackers, hoodies and custom t-shirts, all of which were
designed to appeal to goal-oriented but noncompetitive participants.

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS: TWO PARTS PERSPIRATION, ONE PART PERSISTENCE

As iCommit2Fit grows, we will watch for more advanced

devices that can track a wider range of physical activities
and convert them to a meaningful measure.
Impact of Weekly Coach
Meetings on Steps Taken
150K

iCommit2Fit
Performance
Rankings

Worksite challenges involved seeing which site teams recorded the highest
compliance rates in terms of step counts, food logging and coaching. Winners
were treated to a lunch during program-related webinars.
Finally, several weeks into the program, we randomly selected participants
to form teams across the five pilot locations. To score points for their teams,
members had to complete their daily food log, meet their weekly step goals and
complete their weekly coach meeting. Missing even one of these activities would
reduce the teams overall score.

= TOP 15%
= MIDDLE 70%

Average Monthly Step Count

= BOTTOM 15%

120K
125.2K

Certain teams proved especially competitive, so members would drop out rather
than hurt the team by leaving an activity incomplete. We will examine our scoring
procedures and communication to ensure that the formation of teams enhances
the iCommit2Fit support system.

90K

60K

68.1K
30K

38.4K
MISSED 3

MISSED 2

MISSED NONE

Number of Coaching Meetings Missed

Figure 8

Impact of Coach
on Weight Loss
25

87%

Meeting
participation

Percentage Weight Loss

20

95%

Meeting
participation

Data sharing. Participants, especially in the various challenges, want

to know how their performance compared with others. Due to privacy restrictions of HIPAA and PHI, the data that can be shared with participants is highly restricted. When members of the five-member teams
witnessed a dip in their cumulative score, some wanted to know which team
member caused the average to be lowered. However, because protecting
privacy is of utmost importance, we have utilized safeguards to ensure participants data is only reviewed by Cognizant health
coaches and those administering incentives. To help
the cause while remaining compliant with regulaMeetings
tory restrictions, we created a Fitbit Community in
the Fitbit portal, where users could opt-in to share as much
information as they were comfortable sharing.
100%

Meeting
participation

18% (or 25% if we include the 11 participants who never

synched their devices with the portal), which is lower than
the typical 30% annual attrition rate that health clubs
experience.7 We enrolled 150 participants (18 individuals
joined after a few early participants bowed out), of whom
127 were still active six months later. While some participants dropped out due to medical conditions or injury, others left the program after changing jobs.

20.2%
15
10
10.8%
5

5.4%
0
BOTTOM 15%

MIDDLE 70%

Figure 9

10

Attrition happens. Our program attrition rate was about

KEEP CHALLENGING

October 2014

TOP 15%

Climate matters. The onset of very hot summer weather

in some of the locations had a definite impact on results. In
one location, weather advisories recommended not walking outside until after 10:00 p.m. On the flip side, locations
in the Midwest and North experienced a harsher than normal winter in early 2014, with the polar vortex impacting
outdoor activities. It is important for coaches and participants to identify alternate walking venues and tactics
ahead of time, such as in malls or other indoor sites.

Quick Take
Empowering Employees for Personal Wellness
Five little lights changed my life, says Jacqui
Bennion, one of the 150 participants in our iCommit2Fit wellness pilot program. After six months
of watching her Fitbit wristband display the
signal that she had reached her daily goal of
12,000 steps, Bennion feels more fit, has gained
better control over her diabetes and has made a
complete change in her lifestyle. The program
is about so much more than weight loss; its about
getting healthy, she said.
Getting healthy similarly was the driver behind
Kathy Martins participation in the program. I
have six grandkids and two more on the way,
Martin said. I want to be there for them but
I have a tendency to give up in an instant. With
iCommit2Fit, I had a support team, goals to make
and motivation.
The accountability the program offered was most
important to me, says Scott Seeliger. Seeing
that information the activity and food log on
a daily basis was a big motivator to reaching
my goals.

Motivation with a Personal Touch

The personalized support provided by iCommit2Fit
coaches was especially important for Bennion and
Martin. Bennions coach worked with her to set
up appropriate calorie counts and eating styles to
maintain steady blood sugar levels. Martin gained
so much energy that she tried running a portion
of her daily 1.5-mile walk and promptly hurt her
knee. She and her coach found alternative ways
to remain active, such as doing upper-body work.
My coach was my motivator, Martin says. Its
easy to start when someones watching, and my
coach was huge in that role.
Bennion enjoyed competing against friends
during the iCommit2Fit team challenges, an
aspect of the program that Seeliger also cited as
a big motivator. I am a competitive person and
definitely liked the challenge of being able to win
prizes, he said.
Whether through coaching or competition, the
motivation worked: Seeliger used a local skywalk
system as well as nighttime walks in 10 F weather
to log his 12,000 daily steps. Bennion turned to

an indoor trampoline rebounder and a local airconditioned Walmart to beat the 113 F heat, and
Martin walked around her kitchen island to avoid
subzero wind chills.

Committed to Wellness
All three report much improved health and
energy. Martin is no longer winded by walking
up a short flight of steps in her house; Bennion
has improved blood sugar numbers; and Seeliger
dropped 45 pounds. Each said they expect their
education about healthier food choices to have
a lasting effect on their wellness. Logging the
value of everything you put in your mouth makes
a big difference, Bennion said. I was not going
to log French fries.
Family members of participants also saw side
benefits. Martins husband lost 20 pounds
because of the changes to her cooking style, and
Seeligers familys diet has also changed. I have
8-year-old twins, and it was just so important
for them to be exposed to healthier behavior,
Seeliger said.
Although the pilot ended in June, Bennion, Martin
and Seeliger have all continued their daily steps
and more. I have so much more energy than I
did eight months ago, Bennion said. With her
improved endurance, she is starting to move
into more intense interval training and planking
exercises. Seeliger has started the Couch-to-5K
running program.
We dont just sit on the couch anymore:
we find other things to do, said Martin,
who estimates her familys television-viewing went from as
much as eight hours a day to
just two hours a week. The
other things include yard
chores, fixing old cars and
remodeling a property.
Its been fabulous, she said. I
know Im in a better place because
of iCommit2Fit.

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS: TWO PARTS PERSPIRATION, ONE PART PERSISTENCE

11

Spreading the Success of iCommit2Fit

The basic principles behind the success of iCommit2Fit are transferable to other
settings. Voluntary participation and a good activity-tracking device are the basic
prerequisites. Our results indicate that personalized expert coaching to constantly
challenge participants is the mandatory component that enables participants to
achieve significant activity gains and weight loss.
We were fortunate to have access to our HealthActivate platform and its coaching
resources (see sidebar, page 11). Other companies could turn to third-parties for
similar services. Health insurers and large healthcare systems are increasingly investing in wellness and patient care programs that could offer some of the
features we built into iCommit2Fit.
Factors to consider in program selection include the ability of the service
provider to:

Offer high-quality, clinically trained coaches who can tailor advice and recommendations to participants.

Manage administrative aspects, from enrollment through technical support,

through tabulating results for incentives or internal use.

Support data transmissions from potentially a variety of personal health devices,

which currently do not adhere to a data standard.

Protect participant privacy.

Studies show that employees increasingly will pay for larger shares of their health
costs, whether as co-pays in employer-sponsored coverage or when selecting their
own health plans through employer-defined benefits contributions.8 Programs such
as iCommit2Fit potentially can help employees reduce their need for expensive
healthcare services. This development could benefit employers, too.
One way to determine whether to invest in a program like iCommit2Fit is to look at
aggregate, non-personal employee health data and calculate what percentage of
health claims are arising from lifestyle conditions, from diabetes to heart disease.
It is also worth noting that one review of more than a dozen employer wellness
programs indicated average savings of $358 through reduced health costs per
employee per year, while costing the employer $144 per employee per year. For
every dollar an employer spent on its program, it saved $3.37.9
Our expansion of iCommit2Fit this coming fall is not just about good health for our
employees; it is also about ensuring that our business is fit and productive, too. We
are proud of our iCommit2Fit participants and their hard work and look forward to
logging many more steps from them.

Footnotes

12

KEEP CHALLENGING

October 2014

Matt Clinch, Wearable Smart Bands Set for 350% Growth in 2014, CNBC, Feb. 12,
2014, http://www.cnbc.com/id/101410507#.

Obesity Accounts for 21 percent of U.S. Health Care Costs, Study Finds, ScienceDaily, April 9, 2012, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120409103247.
htm.

Julia James, Patient Engagement, Health Affairs, Feb. 14, 2013, http://www.
healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=86.

Workplace Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://
www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/implementation/topics/physical-activity.
html.

The Price of Inactivity, American Heart Association, http://www.heart.org/

HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/FitnessBasics/The-Price-of-Inactivity_
UCM_307974_Article.jsp.

Physical Activity Improves Quality of Life, American Heart Association, http://www.

heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/FitnessBasics/Physicalactivity-improves-quality-of-life_UCM_307977_Article.jsp.

Heather Rascher, Battling Attrition: A Study in Improving Member Retention at

Health Club Facilities, Sports Economics Perspectives, Issue 3, http://www.sportseconomics.com/Images/PDF/SE_Perspectivevol3.pdf.

Aon Hewitt 2013 HealthCare Survey, Aon, 2013, page 7, http://www.aon.com/

attachments/human-capital-consulting/2013_Health_Care_Survey.pdf.

Katherine Baicker, David Cutler, Zirui Song, Workplace Wellness Programs Can
Generate Savings, Health Affairs, February 2010, Vol. 29, No. 2, pp 304-311, http://
content.healthaffairs.org/content/29/2/304.full#ref-22.

10

Why Use BMI? Harvard School of Public Health, http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-definition/obesity-definition-full-story/#references.

11

Stuart Wolpert, Dieting Does Not Work, UCLA Researchers Report, UCLA, April 3,
2007, http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/Dieting-Does-Not-Work-UCLA-Researchers-7832.

About the Authors

Niresh Terence Sivathasan is a Manager within Cognizants Business Process
Services (BPS) Strategic Operations group. During his four-year tenure, he has
engaged in various due diligences and contracting initiatives, and was a part of
the program team of one of Cognizants largest BPS clients. Niresh is the program
manager for iCommit2Fit and oversees all aspects of the program. He earned his
B.A. from the University of Texas and a Juris doctorate from the University of
Oklahoma College of Law. Additionally, he is licensed to practice law in Texas. Niresh
has a passion for wellness after overcoming his own weight struggles. He altered
his lifestyle to become more physically active and competes in local charity races,
soccer and ice hockey. He can be reached at Niresh.Sivathasan@cognizant.com |
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/niresh-sivathasan/3/27/592 | Google+: plus.google.
com/s/niresh%20sivathasan

Dr. Anthony Nguyen is Cognizants Chief Medical Officer. He led the development of
the coaching protocols and oversaw all clinical aspects of the pilot. Anthony is part
of the Global Clinical Services teams and is responsible for furthering Cognizants
role in helping our clinical partners run better and run different. Anthony graduated
magna cum laude from University of CA, Irvine, and received his M.D. at Tufts School
of Medicine. He is board-certified in internal medicine. Anthonys passion in wellness
stems from his medical education, as well as his dedication to surfing at a high
level. Anthony can be reached at Anthony.Nguyen@cognizant.com | LinkedIn: www.
linkedin.com/in/anguyenmd

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge Gajen Kandiah, Executive Vice-President of
Cognizants Business Process Services Business Unit, for his vision and contributions to this white paper.

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS: TWO PARTS PERSPIRATION, ONE PART PERSISTENCE

13

About Cognizant
Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process outsourcing
services, dedicated to helping the worlds leading companies
build stronger businesses. Headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey (U.S.), Cognizant combines a passion for client satisfaction,
technology innovation, deep industry and business process
expertise, and a global, collaborative workforce that embodies the future of work. With over 75 development and delivery
centers worldwide and approximately 187,400 employees as
of June 30, 2014, Cognizant is a member of the NASDAQ-100,
the S&P 500, the Forbes Global 2000, and the Fortune 500
and is ranked among the top performing and fastest growing
companies in the world. Visit us online at www.cognizant.com
or follow us on Twitter: Cognizant.

World Headquarters
500 Frank W. Burr Blvd.
Teaneck, NJ 07666 USA
Phone: +1 201 801 0233
Fax: +1 201 801 0243
Toll Free: +1 888 937 3277
inquiry@cognizant.com

European Headquarters
1 Kingdom Street
Paddington Central
London W2 6BD
Phone: +44 (0) 207 297 7600
Fax: +44 (0) 207 121 0102
infouk@cognizant.com

India Operations Headquarters

#5/535, Old Mahabalipuram Road
Okkiyam Pettai, Thoraipakkam
Chennai, 600 096 India
Phone: +91 (0) 44 4209 6000
Fax: +91 (0) 44 4209 6060
inquiryindia@cognizant.com

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