Virgin Life Care Announces Science Advisory Board

BOSTON, June 19 /PRNewswire/ — Virgin Life Care, a member of Sir Richard Branson’s world-renowned Virgin group, today announced the formation of a Science Advisory Board comprised of industry experts who will advise the company on developing and improving its activity-based health rewards programs.

Just as Virgin Life Care’s HealthMiles has established itself as a means of combating inactivity, improving health and ultimately lowering healthcare costs for employers and employees alike, the Science Advisory Board is set to stimulate a similar level of momentum, taking wellness to a new level.

“The formation of the Science Advisory Board reconfirms our commitment to providing effective, activity-based programs that are grounded in evidence-based science,” said Christopher Boyce, CEO of Virgin Life Care. “We believe that it will become the industry standard for healthy living program research and innovation.”

Virgin Life Care’s Science Advisory Board is comprised of leading experts in the fields of physical activity, exercise science, health behavior, health promotion, psychology and epidemiology:

   — Dr. David Chenoweth, Ph.D.:  Dr. Chenoweth is President of Chenoweth &      Associates, Inc., an econometric data analysis and consulting firm.      He is also Professor and Director of the undergraduate Worksite Health      Promotion Option in the College of Health & Human Performance at East      Carolina University.  Using principles from various fields —      economics, health education, epidemiology, and risk management — he      developed the Proportionate Risk Factor Cost Appraisal(TM) and used the      tool in quantifying the cost of physical inactivity, obesity, and/or      other risk factors for the states of California, Massachusetts, Maine,      Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Texas and Washington.    — Dr. I-Min Lee, M.D., Ph.D.: Dr. I-Min Lee is Associate Professor of      Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Associate Professor of      Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. She has authored      or co-authored more than 170 scientific publications, most of which      relate to physical activity and health.  Currently, Dr. Lee is part of      a team from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)/American      Heart Association writing an update to the 1995 CDC/ACSM physical      activity recommendation.  Dr. Lee serves on the editorial boards of      Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise and Harvard Women’s Health      Watch.  She reviews scientific papers for several national and      international health journals and has served on national and      international review panels for research grants, including the National      Institutes of Health (NIH).    — Dr. Kyle McInnis, Sc.D:  Dr. McInnis is a professor and Chair of the      Department of Exercise and Health Sciences at the University of      Massachusetts in Boston and serves as Lead Science Advisor to Virgin      Life Care.  He is a Fellow of the prestigious American College of      Sports Medicine (ACSM), the highest honor reserved for outstanding      leadership in the field of exercise science.  He was elected to the      Board of Trustees of ACSM between 2003-2006.  Dr. McInnis is a leading      researcher in the United States on physical activity, fitness, and      health.  He has published numerous research articles in leading      journals and is the co-editor of two books including the ACSM’s Health      Fitness Facilities Standards and Guidelines.    — Dr. Jessica Whitely, Ph.D.:  Dr. Whitely is an Assistant Professor at      the University of Massachusetts Boston and an adjunct Assistant      Professor at Brown Medical School.  Her research interests include      women’s health, health behavior change, physical activity promotion,      smoking cessation, and the use of behavior change theory.    Dr.      Whitely has been a Principal Investigator on two NIH-funded studies and      a Co-Investigator on more than 5 NIH-funded studies.  Additionally, she      has performed and co-authored several research studies to evaluate      print, telephone and Internet programs for increasing physical      activity.  Dr. Whitely has published her research and authored articles      on physical activity promotion and behavior change in various      publications such as Health Psychology, Preventive Medicine, Psychology      of Sport & Exercise, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, and chapters in      ACSM’s Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and      Prescription.    

Physical activity is an essential factor in the prevention and treatment of the majority of lifestyle related health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancer, and mental health. Research has shown that simple, everyday physical activity can improve health and reduce healthcare costs for both consumers and employers. According to the study, The Economic Costs of Physical Inactivity, Obesity and Overweight (2005), the incremental cost to the employer of a physically inactive worker is $2,400 a year.

This science is at the core of Virgin Life Care’s HealthMiles health rewards program. HealthMiles motivates and incentivizes people to live healthier lives by increasing everyday physical activity. The results to date prove that it works — 30 percent of HealthMiles members who had previously been inactive have become active and they are losing weight, reducing body fat and lowering blood pressure levels.

Virgin Life Care’s Science Advisory Board will offer insights and recommendations to help the company stay at the forefront of all scientific advances that are pertinent to developing and continually improving its activity-based programs. This will help to ensure that both consumers and employers are being served in the most effective means possible.

About Virgin Life Care

Virgin Life Care brings the latest in health & fitness innovation to the United States, as part of the Virgin group headed by Sir Richard Branson. Virgin, a leading branded venture capital organization, is one of the world’s most recognized and respected brands. Virgin USA oversees and is responsible for the expansion of the Virgin brand in North America, blasting into markets where the customer is underserved, offering value for money, good quality, innovation, exceptional customer service, fun and a sense of competitive challenge. Building upon the success of existing businesses such as Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Mobile, Virgin continues to look for opportunities in North America where it can offer something better, fresher and more valuable to consumers. Visit http://www.virginlifecare.com/ for more information.

Virgin Life Care

CONTACT: Katherine Cantor of Bite Communications, +1-212-857-9374,katherine.cantor@bitepr.com, for Virgin Life Care

Web site: http://www.virginlifecare.com/