HealthyWage General Rules
These rules apply to all our challenges.
You Can Participate in Multiple Challenges
Go for it! You can do all of our challenges at the same time! A few specifics:
- You can participate in as many as 10 active challenges at one time.
- You can only participate in one HealthyWager at a time (but you can sign up for other challenges at the same time as your HealthyWager).
Get Your Weight Verified Twice
Once at the start and once at the end of each of your challenges, you must have your weight verified. Verification can be done from the privacy of your home by making a Video and uploading it to our website. Or, you can visit a health club or physician and have them verify you.
Don't Cheat or Commit Fraud
We use proprietary algorithms, weigh-in reviews and, if necessary, outside investigators and law enforcement to catch cheaters. The legal consequences are not worth the benefit. Rule-breakers don’t get refunds – don’t even ask. The rule also applies to folks who are dishonest with the HealthyWage crew or a verifier or anyone else in connection with your challenge.
Don't Use Unhealthy Tricks to “Game” the Challenge
Doing unhealthy things in order to “game” the challenge is prohibited, including, but not limited to, deliberate weight gain (before, during, or after a HealthyWage challenge), starvation (defined as eating fewer calories each day than your doctor recommends), excessive exercise (defined as exercise that exceeds your doctor’s recommended amount of exercise, in terms of type, frequency and duration), water deprivation, unusual water consumption, self-induced vomiting, diuretics, laxatives, or any weight loss or weight gain plan that your doctor does or would advise against, or that, in HealthyWage’s sole and exclusive discretion, would be considered unhealthy or unfair by an ordinary person.
Don't Harass Other Players…or Anyone Else
Be nice, please! Harassment of any kind, whether of your own teammates or other teams or non-participants is prohibited. You are encouraged to support your teammates, but you covenant and agree that unwelcome emotion, physical, or other abuse is absolutely forbidden. Harassment shall also include any words or actions that, in HealthyWage’s sole and exclusive discretion, would be likely to cause any of your teammates, or any other person, to feel pressured to do any of the unhealthy things defined above.
Don't Do Anything Illegal
Well, duh!
Don't Participate While Pregnant
If you become pregnant during your challenge, you are entitled to postpone the challenge until a future date. If you enter a challenge while pregnant, you will be disqualified. Weight loss caused by giving birth to a baby (/-ies) does not count. Sorry mom!
Your challenge is suspended the minute you think you might be pregnant -- just let us know. You have 60 days after that to supply proof of pregnancy from your clinic/doctor. You may resume your challenge once you are cleared by your doctor to participate again.
We Have a Strict No Refunds Policy
We believe strongly that an important part of the service we provide is a negative reinforcement that helps you avoid procrastinating and quitting, which would be undermined if you could simply change your mind or find an excuse to quit. Moreover, our pricing is based actuarial models that assume no refunds. There are no exceptions except in rare, evidence-documented medical situations – email us at accounting@healthywage.com if that applies.
Don't Have Surgery During Your Challenge(s)
You may not have liposuction, bariatric surgery, or any other weight-loss surgery during your challenge or within 1 year prior to your challenge start date.
The Anti-Yo-Yo Rule
When the rule applies:
This rule rarely applies.It applies only if you (a) have previously won a HealthyWager or one of the top three prizes (not counting company prizes) in a Team Challenge and (b) have gained weight since your last verified weight, and (c) are starting a new Team Challenge.
What the rule says:
You can't participate if you've gained weight since your last HealthyWager or Team Challenge win unless you are willing to start the new challenge at the weight you ended the previous challenge. We occasionally allow exceptions to this rule for compelling cases. If you think you have a special situation, please email us at info@healthywage.com for additional consideration.
Example:
Marla's team won the $10,000 top prize in the Team Challenge on May 1, and Marla's final verified weight was 150 pounds. Then she gained weight in May. On June 1, she started a new Team Challenge with a starting weight of 175. That's a violation of the Anti-Yo-Yo Rule because Marla won one of the top three prizes in a team challenge with a final weight of 150 pounds, which is less than 175 pounds. HealthyWage will adjust her starting weight for the new Team Challenge down to 150 pounds. Note: the rule only applies if you won a HealthyWager or one of the top three prizes (not counting company prizes) in a Team Challenge.
Gaming the Verified Weigh-ins Not Allowed
When the rule applies:
This rule rarely applies. It applies only when you are finishing a team challenge or HealthyWager and beginning another, and your weight has fluctuated dramatically from one weigh-in to the next, whether verified or unverified.
What it says:
You cannot end or start a new challenge with a weight that is dramatically different (2% or more, up or down) than the weight you are starting with for a new challenge. If you do, your verified weight will be adjusted so that it is no more than a 2% difference from your last weigh-in.
Examples:
Bob starts a HealthyWager at 201 pounds on May 1. On May 5, he finishes the team challenge he started earlier in the year, and his ending weight is 178 pounds. That's a violation of the rule because Bob would be claiming to have lost way more than 2% of his weight in less than a week. 2% of 201 is 5 pounds (rounding up), so Bob's May 5 weight can't be any lower than 196 pounds. HealthyWage will adjust his team challenge ending weight up to 196.
Jamie starts a Team Challenge on February 26 with a verified weigh-in of 237 pounds. On Wednesday March 30, she enters an unverified weight of 215 pounds for her 5th weekly weigh-in. On Friday April 1st she starts a second Team Challenge and submits a verified weigh-in of 233 pounds. This is a violation of the rule because her weight has increased 8% since her last weigh-in. Jamie’s April 1st starting verified weigh-in will be adjusted down to 219 pounds (2% greater than her last unverified weigh-in).
