Study: UnitedHealth Group's "JOIN for ME" Shows Promise as a Model to Fight Childhood Obesity by Involving the Entire Family
Minnetonka, Minn. (Jan. 12, 2012) - UnitedHealth Group's
(NYSE: UNH) first-of-its-kind, whole-family program to
fight childhood obesity has the potential to become a
national model, according to a new study.
JOIN for MESM, piloted with the Y of the USA and the YMCA
of Greater Providence, R.I., demonstrated that the
combination of whole-family engagement helped participants
achieve significant reductions in excess weight.
The program engaged overweight and obese kids ages six to
17, along with their parents, in a series of learning
sessions to achieve healthier weights through healthier
family nutrition choices, increased activity, and lifestyle
improvement tracking.
"Children who are overweight and obese are motivated to
lose weight, but they can't do it alone. They must have the
support and full involvement of their families to support
healthy eating choices and healthy family lifestyles that
include exercise," said Deneen Vojta, M.D., senior vice
president, UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform &
Modernization and the study's principal investigator. "JOIN
for ME is a fun and practical solution that can easily be
made available to the millions of families who struggle
with childhood obesity. We look forward to supporting the
launch of this model in communities around the nation."
After six months, 84 percent of the original 155
participants in the JOIN for ME pilot completed the full
program and achieved, on average, a 3.5-percent reduction
in excess weight. Equally promising is that parents of
participants also lost weight in the study, opening the
door for new wellness models that engage the entire
family.
"We were very pleased with the study results, which showed
a statistically significant improvement in weight outcomes
among participants. Equally impressive was the fact that
more than eight in 10 remained engaged in the program,"
said Gary Foster, Ph.D., professor of Medicine and Public
Health and director of the . Foster has been evaluating the
effectiveness of the program with a team of medical experts
over the last six months.
UnitedHealth Group and its businesses have introduced many
community-based partnerships, wellness programs and health
plan designs that are reimbursable, and encourage and
empower people to take preventive steps and lead healthier
lives. These new, evidence-based health interventions for
high-risk populations include the and the diabetes health
plan.
Raytheon First Company to Pilot Program
Raytheon Co. (NYSE: RTN) found that many workplace wellness
programs focused only on adult and employee health. JOIN
for ME, however, focuses on helping employees improve the
health of their children, providing important resources to
families so they can work together to live a healthy
lifestyle.
This unique approach, together with some very promising
initial results from the pilot study, prompted Raytheon to
launch a pilot program in October 2011 for children of
employees based in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Some
participants in the Raytheon pilot also will be given
access to controller-free gaming devices that involve
physical participation, such as Microsoft Kinect for
Xbox360, to evaluate the effectiveness of gaming devices in
promoting physical activity and improving weight outcomes
among overweight or obese children.
Curbing a Growing Epidemic
About one-third of all American children are obese or
overweight, leading to increased health risks, higher
health care costs, and decreased parental productivity at
work, according to the (CDC). Obesity now affects 17
percent of all children and adolescents in the United
States - nearly triple the rate from just 30 years ago -
according to the CDC.
Weight problems often lead to more serious health
consequences. Obese children are more likely to have high
blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, which
are all risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according
to the CDC. Obese children and adolescents also have a
greater risk of social and psychological problems, such as
discrimination and poor self-esteem, which can continue
into adulthood.i,ii,iii
Childhood obesity also represents a significant financial
cost to families, communities, employers and the health
care system. A study conducted for one large employer
indicated that average per capita health insurance claims
costs were as high as $2,907 in 2008 for an obese child and
$10,789 for a child with type 2 diabetes, which is even
higher than the average claims cost for adults with type 2
diabetes ($8,844).iv
How JOIN for ME Works
JOIN for ME is a 12-month community-based lifestyle
improvement program for generally healthy children between
the ages of six and 17 who are overweight or obese.
Children and their families attend a series of 16 weekly,
one-hour group classes at local Ys, workplace facilities or
other community locations. Participants are introduced to
evidence-based tools and strategies, as well as incentives
to adopt healthier habits that lead to lifelong healthier
weight. Sessions are led by a trained facilitator and cover
topics such as reducing less healthy foods and drinks,
getting and staying active, managing screen time, improving
sleep habits, and understanding the link between moods and
foods. After 16 weeks, participants are encouraged to
attend monthly maintenance sessions for an additional eight
months.
The JOIN for ME pilot was designed to provide affordable
and accessible care in local communities, similar to
UnitedHealth Group's efforts to provide access to the
evidence-based Diabetes Prevention Program, which helps
people with prediabetes reduce their risk of developing
full-blown diabetes. JOIN for ME can be offered as a
workplace wellness program included in a company's health
benefit package. Different from most workplace wellness
initiatives, JOIN for ME focuses on improving the health of
the entire family that struggles with extra weight,
underscoring the importance of social structures in
lifestyle modification and behavior change.
As designed, the JOIN for ME program will be covered as
part of the preventive care schedule for participants
enrolled through employer-provided health insurance plans
or government-sponsored Medicaid managed care plans through
UnitedHealthcare in select markets. This means dependents
of eligible employees or beneficiaries will have access to
a community-based program to help them achieve healthier
weight, while the employers or plan sponsors will be
supporting better health for participating families,
leading to lower health care costs due to fewer doctor and
hospital visits.
At-risk children will be identified and referred for
support through multiple channels such as primary care
providers, school nurses, community health centers, school
educators and the Y, as well as through UnitedHealth
Group's database and analytics tools.
JOIN for ME is one of many UnitedHealth Group programs and
services that fight diabetes, prediabetes, obesity and
related health problems in creative, practical ways to help
improve health care quality, expand support and coverage,
and help bend the cost curve. Click for more resources.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health and
well-being company dedicated to helping people live
healthier lives and making health care work better. With
headquarters in Minnetonka, Minn., UnitedHealth Group
offers a broad spectrum of products and services through
two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides
health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum,
which provides information and technology-enabled health
services. Through its businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves
more than 75 million people worldwide. Visit for more
information.
iWhitlock EP, Williams SB, Gold R, Smith PR, Shipman SA.
Screening and interventions for childhood overweight: a
summary of evidence for the US Preventive Services Task
Force. Pediatrics. 2005;116(1):e125-144.
iiDietz W. Health consequences of obesity in youth:
Childhood predictors of adult disease. Pediatrics
1998;101:518-525.
iiiSwartz MB and Puhl R. Childhood obesity: a societal
problem to solve. Obesity Reviews 2003;
4(1):57-71.
ivSepulveda MJ, Tait F, Zimmerman E, Edington D. Impact of
childhood obesity on employers. Health Affairs
2010; 29:513-521.
- Evidence-based wellness program helps children and their parents lose weight, reducing risk of many health problems; emphasis is on whole-family lifestyle improvement
- Raytheon first company to pilot program for employees in Rhode Island and Massachusetts
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