Healthyroads Obesity Program Delivers Phenomenal 6-Month Results for VEBA Employees

SAN DIEGO (Oct. 21, 2005) – American Specialty Health (ASH) and the Southern California Schools Voluntary Employees Benefits Association (VEBA) recently announced that participants in the VEBA Weight Loss Challenge achieved impressive weight loss and are closer than ever to achieving their overall health goals. ASH administered the program to VEBA members through its subsidiary Healthyroads, Inc.

Through a combination of telephone-based coaching and counseling, online tools, educational modules, and other resources, the goal of the challenge is to increase members’ awareness about the health risks associated with overweight and obesity. Healthyroads educators—registered nurses, certified personal trainers, registered dietitians, and other health professionals—provide individualized telephonic coaching support, focusing on coping skills, motivation, goal-setting, relaxation techniques, visual imagery, and problem-solving.

Educators also provide customized dietary planning and analysis, including restaurant menu analysis, personalized shopping and meal-planning, and nutrition education.

After the first six months of the Weight Loss Challenge, members who used the phone-based program more frequently—completing more than 14 phone sessions each—lost more than 20 pounds each on average, with an average reduction in body mass index (BMI) of over 8 percent. Further, one VEBA member has already lost 80 pounds.

Among the 85 percent of participants who lost weight in the program, the average weight loss was 12 pounds each. Weight loss was verified by regular, onsite weigh-ins.

The VEBA Weight Loss Challenge was offered to San Diego-based education employees in March 2005 to help members improve their health through making sustainable behavioral changes, recognize the benefits of adopting a healthy lifestyle, and reduce health care costs resulting from poor lifestyle choices.

Among VEBA employees who participated in the Weight Loss Challenge, nearly 80 percent had an average starting body mass index of 37.6 and reported having at least one medical condition. At the end of the first six-month period, nearly all of the participants—98.3 percent—made behavioral changes and significantly improved their nutritional intake and activity level.

In addition, the program’s administrators and its participants report high satisfaction, both with the operation of the Weight Loss Challenge as well as the results.

“This program is unique because it focuses on professional counseling and support groups to heal the emotional aspects of the participants’ weight issues,” said George McGregor, Administrator for the Southern California Schools VEBA Trust.

“The key to successful obesity management and disease prevention has always been focusing on the individual, providing the essential counseling and coaching needed to support making positive, lifelong lifestyle changes,” said George DeVries, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of ASH. “The results from the first six months of the VEBA Weight Loss Challenge are proof of that.”

“We congratulate the participants on their success,” DeVries added, “but we also look forward to helping them achieve more of their health goals as they continue in the program.”

About VEBA

The Southern California Schools VEBA is a cooperative labor-management trust that provides comprehensive health and benefit programs. VEBA began operations in 1993 and is committed to achieving the highest quality and most cost-effective benefit programs for all education employees. The trust serves 38,000 employees and 47,000 dependents, for a total participation of 85,000 members.

About ASH

Healthyroads, Inc. is a subsidiary of American Specialty Health, Incorporated, the nation’s leading specialty benefits organization for complementary health care. ASH provides network benefit, health education, wellness, and affinity discount programs to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups, and trusts nationwide. Based in San Diego, ASH has more than 600 employees and covers more than 12.1 million members in benefit programs nationwide. Currently, more than 400,000 members participate in Healthyroads wellness programs. For more information about Healthyroads and ASH, visit ASHCompanies.com and Healthyroads.com, or call 800.858.3555.