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Reston, VA based PICS, Inc. has been awarded United States Patent protection for its DietMate® weight loss computer (http://www.dietmate.com). The particular patent focus is DietMate's unique approach to weight loss and the use of hand held computers for behavior modification in general. The palm-size computer gathers personalized data and develops a goal-oriented eating and exercise program for each user. Two additional versions of DietMate deal with high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Clinical studies conducted with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have proven DietMate effective for weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure reduction.
PICS, Inc., makers of the highly successful LifeSign® stop smoking computer, are experts in helping people improve their health without the use of harmful drugs. DietMate provides the health care community with the tools needed to combine breakthrough technology with a back to basics, drug free approach to weight loss. The DietMate patent award is especially timely in the aftermath of the Food and Drug Administration intervention to pull popular prescription diet pills Fen-Phen and Redux off the market after they were found to cause heart valve damage in some users.
DietMate creates a diet and exercise program based on the user's height, weight, age, sex, weight loss goals, and exercise preferences (the cholesterol and hypertension control versions process additional medical information pertaining to these conditions), and gives valuable reinforcement and feedback. The DietMate computer helps individuals achieve their health goals as well as maintain them.
In addition to the weight, cholesterol and blood pressure control versions, PICS recently included another version of DietMate to its family of behavior modification products. The DietMate Professional, funded by a grant from the Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute, includes personal computer based software and is intended for use by dietitians and nutritionists. DietMate Professional tailors a program for each patient that can be downloaded from a dietitian's PC to the palm-sized DietMate computer carried by users. Although still in its testing stage, the program has enjoyed enthusiastic reception from the health community.
PICS is best known for it's LifeSign stop-smoking program which has helped over a million people quit smoking with the aid of a credit card sized computer.
Editors note: Al Behar, President of PICS, Inc. is available for interviews. Please call Yamit Willentzik at (703) 758-1400 or E-mail.
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