Wellness

There’s no disputing the success of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser”: huge ratings, successful DVD sales and the fact that Jillian Michaels and Bill Germanakos now are household names.

Rising health care costs are driving more employers to take up the “sticks painted orange” approach to wellness, with 47% saying they either already use or plan to use financial penalties over the next three to five years for employees who do not participate in certain health improvement programs, according to new Hewitt numbers.

From booking flights to buying flowers, tax filing tips to TV favorites – there’s an app for that. Smartphone technology is quickly reaching a tipping point, now that users can get tunes, TV and text messages (simultaneously) on their cellphones.