Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108216

Anita Keneipp, MS, State Funded Programs/Health Education Department, Health Net of California, Inc., 1055 E.Colorado Blvd. #300, Pasadena, CA 91105, 626 683 6488, anita.keneipp@health.net, Nancy Wongvipat Kalev, MPH, State Health Programs, Health Education/Cultural & Linguistic Services, Health Net of California, Inc., 21281 Burbank Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, and Jennifer Nuovo, MD, Regional Medical Director State Health Programs, Health Net of California Inc., 11791 Foundation Place, Building D, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

Health Net of California, one of the largest health plans in California, launched Weight Management - Be in Charge! SM – a program created especially to meet the needs of overweight children and adolescents. Weight Management - Be in Charge! SM is available to Health Net's Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Program (HFP) members. This program includes individualized telephonic nutrition support, health education materials, and group-level support through the Weight Watchers® Program. Health Net provides, at no cost to the member, pre-purchased set of coupons for overweight members whose BMI falls on or above the 95th percentile. Health Net recognizes the valuable role of physicians in addressing this epidemic. Members can also self-refer to a telephonic nutrition support program including access to health education materials. This support is a valuable resource for members who access the Asthma and Diabetes Be in Charge!sm programs. Evaluation data, including key nutrition-related questions, weight change, participation rates and self reported data comprising lifestyle changes (changes in exercise, serving sizes, fruits/vegetable intake) will be shared highlighting the successes and lessons learned in this ongoing Weight Management – Be in Charge!sm program.

Learning Objectives: By the end of the session participants will be able to

• Describe the challenges and opportunities of developing a multi-pronged weight management program.
• List the value of individual components and methodologies in addressing the overweight/obesity epidemic.
• Assess the feasibility of a multi-component approach to implementing a weight management program for the Medicaid and other low-income insured population.

Keywords: Children and Adolescents, Obesity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation