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Southern California Schools VEBA Announces Startling Mid-Year Results From Its Weight Loss Program for Obese Employees Measured on Tuesday's 'Weigh In' Event

Posted on: Wednesday, 31 August 2005, 15:00 CDT

Innovative Program Provides an Alternative Approach to Traditional Weight Loss Methods Designed to Promote Long-Term Healthy Lifestyle Changes and Address Health Cost Issues -- Results So Far Show Significant Weight Loss from 82% of the Participants and a Decrease in Preventable Diseases and Health Care Costs

Recognizing the link between obesity and disease, Southern California Schools Voluntary Employees Benefits Association (VEBA) -- a cooperative labor-management trust that provides comprehensive health and benefit programs for Southern California education employees -- reunited Weight Loss Challenge participants at their "Weigh In" event on Tuesday, August 30, 2005, to record mid-year results. The Weight Loss Challenge kicked off on March 1, 2005, and results so far include a combined weight loss of 1,270 pounds. This equates to a significant savings in health care costs considering the amount of money saved from the prevention of future obesity-related medical expenses. The program also has provided early detection of symptoms for preventable diseases and increased exposure to healthy living for employees, students and the community.

The Weight Loss Challenge is the first in a series of health and wellness programs that VEBA has sponsored under the theme VEBA la Health, which aims to:

-- Help members improve their health and reduce the risk of

disease, while influencing long-term, sustainable behavior

change

-- Increase member awareness about health risks and the benefits

of adopting a healthy lifestyle

-- Reduce health care costs for both members and their employers

resulting from conditions and diseases related to excess

weight, obesity and other risk factors

"The Southern California Schools VEBA launched the Weight Loss Challenge because we recognize the link between obesity and disease, and the serious implications for our membership," said George McGregor, administrator for the Southern California Schools VEBA Trust. "The goal of this program is to improve our members' health and reduce the risk of disease, while influencing long-term, sustainable and healthy behavior change. The cost savings has already shown staggering results and we anticipate it will only continue as we head towards our year-end results. Based on the success of the pilot program and demand from our members, we will roll out this program next month to another group of 100 who qualify among our 85,000-member population."

About the VEBA Weight Loss Challenge

The VEBA Weight Loss Challenge takes a scientific approach to assisting individuals who are clinically overweight or obese by offering this program to members who qualify as clinically obese with a body mass index of 30 or above.(1)

The pilot version of the Weight Loss Challenge was launched on March 1, 2005, and given its immediate success and overwhelming demand, VEBA will launch the next program to another group of 100 who qualify among the 85,000-member population of Southern California Schools VEBA. The VEBA Trust is sponsoring and paying for all program costs. There is no charge to members who are selected to participate in the pilot program.

The pilot program kicked off on March 1, 2005, with 200 participants and 40 five-member teams will continue to compete in a friendly competition to lose weight and improve overall health through February 2006. Teams were selected by departments, associations and districts and participation is voluntary and confidential. Every participant has set personal health goals and will continue to work with their team to achieve team goals throughout the year. The top team will be awarded a two-night stay at a luxury resort including a golf and spa package.

Weight Loss Results

The Weight Loss Challenge showed dramatic first quarter results among the participants and the weight loss details include:

-- Mean loss = 8.5 lbs

-- Median loss = 7 lbs

-- Mode = 12 lbs

-- 20 people gained weight

-- 5 people had no change

Decrease in Preventable Disease Symptoms

Results so far also point to a dramatic decrease in preventable disease symptoms. Before entering the program, each participant received an initial health screening including physical and blood tests. Fifty-six percent of participants had one or more blood test results related to cholesterol, HDL and Glucose abnormalities. Once informed of these results, 70% of these participants sought care from their physician to identify and treat chronic disease symptoms, and prevent progression of the disease and the large expense associated with treatments.

Benefits to the Community and Education Industry

The results also show that the Weight Loss Challenge has increased awareness of health-related issues in the classroom as demonstrated by districts requesting information and tools for weight loss programs and students. With the rising rate of obesity among children and young adults, this is an issue that is also important to teachers, parents and administrators in the school districts. "I feel that my experience in the program is also benefiting my students since we are all learning about healthier eating and exercise habits. My students know that I've started watching what I eat and they've seen positive results in how I look and feel. They are helping me stay honest with my program and have turned out to be my biggest supporters!" said Ellyn Hall, Administrative Technician at the San Diego Community College District whose starting weight was 238 and is currently down to 223 with a goal weight of 140.

Differentiators from Traditional Weight Loss Programs

One of the key areas that members have highlighted as a positive differentiator from other weight loss programs is the support group structure that is built into the program. "This program is unique because it focuses on professional counseling and support groups to heal the emotional aspects of the participants' weight issues. We are confident that participants will achieve successful and long-term weight loss if they take advantage of all the physical and mental support services offered to them in this program," said McGregor.

"The support group has been absolutely necessary for me," said John, a 33-year-old participant whose beginning weight was 263 and now weighs 203. "My colleagues, friends, and I have noticed such a positive change in me during the past six months and I know it is because I have utilized all the tools, programs and resources that this program has offered." Ron, a 40-year-old participant -- whose top weight was 304 pounds and now weighs 229 pounds -- also cited the support group as a key factor to success. "The most beneficial support service of this program is my small support group that meets twice a month. This program allows you to take control of your life -- in fact, I feel it has saved my life," remarked Ron.

Other unique components of the program include:

-- Individual coaching from licensed clinicians and health

educators

-- Motivation and encouragement from weekly support group

sessions

-- Access to health clubs, personal trainers and personalized

home-based exercise plans

-- Customized menus, meal plans and shopping lists

-- Access to nutrition courses and meal-planning techniques that

help participants with long-term weight maintenance

VEBA is also partnering in the Weight Loss Challenge with American Specialty Health Networks, which brings many unique offerings to the program and emphasizes long-term healthy lifestyle changes.

George DeVries, ASH chairman, president and chief executive officer, added, "Healthyroads and American Specialty Health are proud to provide the VEBA Weight Loss Challenge with programs including motivational coaching, meal and exercise planning, Web-based tools, educational recourses, and access to contracted fitness clubs. By giving their members the power -- and the incentive -- to make healthy lifestyle choices, VEBA is helping them change their lives for the better and live longer and healthier."

About the Weight Loss Challenge Program Participants

The average age of the program participants is 45 years old with 16% male and 84% female. When the program was launched the average weight among the participants was 235 lbs and the average body mass index was 40.(1)

The majority of the participants cited health-risk issues as their main reason for participating in the program including concerns over cancer, diabetes, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome and infertility. Participants in this pilot program hail from school districts throughout San Diego including: Fallbrook Elementary School District, Lakeside Union School District, Lemon Grove School District, National School District, San Diego Community College District, San Diego County Office of Education, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego Union High School District, San Marcos Unified School District, South Bay Union High School District and Sweetwater Union High School District.

About the Southern California Schools Voluntary Employees Benefits Association (VEBA)

The Southern California Schools VEBA began operations in October 1993 as a cooperative labor-management trust program committed to achieving the highest quality and most cost-effective benefits programs for all education employees. Through the unity of design, purchase and administration, trust participants have control over quality of care and cost. With labor and management joining forces, the trust has more negotiating power with providers than small, individual districts could ever attain. The Southern California Schools VEBA dominates the regional areas in which it operates. Total participation in the trust includes 26 districts, one association, and a county office of education. The trust serves 38,000 employees and 47,000 dependents, for a total participation of 85,000 members.

About McGregor Van De Moere, Inc. (MVI)

Acting as the administrator for the VEBA Trust, MVI is an innovative leader in administrative and financial services for employer health plans. Since the firm's inception in 1990, the company has developed creative systems and solutions to assist clients with both the basic and complex administrative requirements of providing health care benefits for public-sector trust funds, charitable organizations, union and nonunion construction trusts, and prepaid self-directed plans.

About American Specialty Health and Healthyroads

Healthyroads, Inc. is a subsidiary of American Specialty Health, Incorporated (ASH). ASH and its subsidiaries are the nation's leading specialty benefits organization for complementary health care, providing benefit, health education and affinity network programs to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups and trusts nationwide. Based in San Diego, ASH has more than 500 employees. Healthyroads administers obesity management and wellness programs for more than 400,000 members nationally. ASH administers complementary health and fitness benefit programs for more than 12.1 million members nationally. For more information about ASH and Healthyroads, visit ASHCompanies.com and Healthyroads.com(R).

Obesity Background Information

-- Obesity is a disease that affects nearly one-third of the

adult American population (approximately 60 million).

-- The number of overweight and obese Americans has continued to

increase since 1960, a trend that is not slowing down.

-- Today, 64.5% of adult Americans (about 127 million) are

categorized as being overweight or obese.

-- Each year, obesity causes at least 300,000 excess deaths in

the U.S., and health care costs of obese American adults

amount to approximately $100 billion.

-- Obesity is the second-leading cause of unnecessary deaths.

-- Health insurers rarely pay for treatment of obesity despite

its serious effects on health.

-- When Body Mass Index (BMI) exceeds 30, the relative risk of

obesity-related death increases by 50%.

Source: American Obesity Association.

Obesity's Impact on Health Care Costs

-- Overweight employees equate to 45% more hospital stays.

-- High cholesterol equates to 16% higher annual claims.

-- Smokers equate to 27% higher annual claims.

-- High blood pressure equates to 12% higher annual claims.

-- Poor nutrition equates to 15% higher annual claims.

-- High stress equates to 40% higher annual claims.

-- Sedentary lifestyle equates to 13% higher claims.

-- National health care expenditures equate to $2.1 trillion in

2005 and are estimated at 25% of gross national product (GNP)

in 2015.

Source: American Specialty Health.

Key testimonials from program participants are also available upon request.

(1)According to the American Obesity Association, when Body Mass Index (BMI) exceeds 30, the relative risk of obesity-related death increases by 50%.

Source: Business Wire

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