Hotseat creator Fran Melmed talks about sedentary behavior at South by Southwest, WorldatWork and other venues this spring.

Employers, health organizations and even individuals are taking note of the many health risks increased by prolonged sedentary behavior. This spring, Hotseat’s founder Fran Melmed will talk about “sitting disease” and how Hotseat seeks to counteract it through the triple-threat combo of nudges, social accountability and competitive play.

South by Southwest 2013
Sitting Is Killing You. Can Mobile Save Us?
Sunday, March 10, 2013
We all know the sad truth: The majority of working Americans are chained to their desks—namely, their computer screens—for eight hours per day. Recent research suggests that sitting is killing people and the industry continues to debate the harmful health effects stemming from sedentary lifestyles, with many arguing that technology is only adding fuel to the fire.

Human Resource Executive Health & Benefits Leadership Conference
Let’s Play: Using Health Games to Boost Engagement and Improve Outcomes
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Gamification is the latest buzzword taking over your wellness programs. Games keep us intrigued because their outcome is unknown, and their competitive nature keeps us committed. And structural elements – like points, levels and incentives – drive us to change our behavior and reach our goals. So it’s no surprise that employers are beginning to take a keen interest in incorporating gamification into their wellness programs, especially as they continue to face escalating health care costs and engagement problems. But what makes health games work—or flop? What should you look for when you evaluate games for your organization? How do you make them actually work for your organization? How do you know what’s effective? This panel of innovators knows games inside and out and will share their insights, the science behind the games, the latest thinking, and games now available to consumers, employers and health providers.

WorldatWork 2013 Total Rewards Conference
Employers to Employees: Don’t Just Sit There
Monday, April 29, 2013
Sitting can be dangerous to the health of your employees and organization. Headlines recently announced that sitting can shave two years off a person’s life, and numerous studies show links between a sedentary lifestyle and obesity, cancer, heart disease and more. Employers are awakening to this research and examining how they can interrupt work without disrupting productivity. This workshop will examine the latest research, review why employers should be concerned, share how certain employers are tackling the situation, and discuss how mobile technology and other interventions support employers’ objectives for healthy, productive employees.