SharecareNow Names Top 10 Online Influencers in Weight Loss

ATLANTA, GA and SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwire – Jan 15, 2013) -With 65 percent of U.S. adults vowing to make a weight loss-related lifestyle change in the New Year, it is no surprise that gym memberships increase by an average of 12 percent every January. Maintaining a new year’s resolution to lose weight, whether it is eating healthier or exercising more, can be challenging, but by surrounding yourself with valuable information and helpful resources, you can increase your odds of success. That is why SharecareNow has announced its list of health experts that make up the Top 10 Online Influencers in Weight Loss — including Reader’s Digest editor-in-chief Liz Vaccariello, Today show nutrition expert Joy Bauer, and Health magazine columnist Cynthia Sass.

“Offering unprecedented advice on everything from healthy eating tips to exercise regimens, these experts not only help equip Americans with the tools to lose weight, but also teach them how to make long-term lifestyle improvements to maintain their healthy weight and reduce their risk for weight-related conditions,” says Michael F. Roizen, MD, a Sharecare Editorial Advisory member and Chief Wellness Officer for Cleveland Clinic.

Sharecare’s Top 10 Online Influencers list series is the starting point for users who are on a journey to improve their health or learn more about a specific disease area. The lists provide users with background information on a topic and introduce suggested online influencers to follow and who will be valuable resources every step of the way. Sharecare seeks to empower users with the right information, early on, so that they can engage in the most effective way online. Sharecare’s goal is to have anyone facing new health challenges or simply interested in learning more about a condition to “Start with SharecareNow.”

To be included in the SharecareNow Top 10 Online Influencers — Weight Loss list, individuals must have demonstrated a consistent impact on weight loss-specific conversations online over the past year. Top influencers have an active online presence across multiple interactive channels — such as Twitter, Facebook, video and blogs — and address a wide range of weight loss topics, including healthy eating and exercise. Influence is measured and quantified through a proprietary algorithm based on more than 70 individual metrics that include weight loss relevance, syndication, presence and reach.

The following top influencers make up the SharecareNow Top 10 – Weight Loss list:

1. Liz Vaccariello – Reader’s Digest

Editor-in-chief and chief content officer of Reader’s Digest, author of the New York Times best-seller The Digest Diet and the recently released The Digest Diet Cookbook

2. Joy Bauer, MS, RD – Today

Nutrition and health expert for NBC’s Today show, New York Times best-selling author, including most recently The Joy Fit Club, and founder of Joy Bauer Nutrition

3. Malia Frey, MA, CPT – About.com – Weight Loss

Health and fitness writer for About.com and certified personal trainer

4. Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD – Cynthia Sass

Best-selling author of S.A.S.S! Yourself Slim: Conquer Craving, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches, Health magazine columnist, registered dietitian and nutrition consultant to the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays

5. Tony Schober, CPT – Coach Calorie

Fitness blogger, certified personal trainer and founder of Coach Calorie

6. Nanci Hellmich – USA Today

Life section reporter, covering nutrition, fitness and wellness, for USA Today

7. Veronica Noone – Roni’s Weigh

Healthy living blogger and founder of SkinnyMinnyMedia, LLC

8. Erika Nicole Kendall – Black Girl’s Guide to Weight Loss

Author and founder of the blog Black Girl’s Guide to Weight Loss

9. Diane Carbonell – Fit to the Finish

Founder of Fit To The Finish blog and author of 150 Pounds Gone Forever

10. Jennifer Swafford – It Sux To Be Fat

Founder and author of the blog It Sux To Be Fat

The full list of the SharecareNow Top 10 Online Influencers – Weight Loss can be found here.

About SharecareNow, powered by WCG
SharecareNow, powered by WCG, was developed in partnership with Sharecare, the health and wellness social media platform, and WCG, a market-leading digital communications agency. Sharecare Now, powered by WCG, is an online platform developed to access real-time analytics on various health topics, conversations and influencers, and to use these insights to meaningfully impact the conversation through strategic engagement. The platform allows health and wellness professionals, organizations and brands to leverage the most accurate data, solutions and best practices to participate in the social service of expert health and wellness content and communities.

About Sharecare
Sharecare is a health and wellness social media platform that connects people with top-ranking experts, ranging from doctors and specialists to hospitals, healthcare companies and health-conscious consumers. The power behind the site’s unique Q&A format is its collective wisdom, providing health-seeking consumers with answers reflecting multiple expert perspectives — greatly simplifying the search for quality information. Created by Jeff Arnold and Dr. Mehmet Oz in partnership with Harpo Productions, Sony Pictures Television and Discovery Communications, Sharecare allows people to ask, learn and act upon questions of health and wellness, creating an active community where knowledge is shared and put into practice — simply said, sharing care. Launched in 2010, Sharecare is based in Atlanta, Ga.

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