Texas Offers State Employees Access to Real Appeal, a Proven Personalized Weight-Loss Program from UnitedHealthcare
October 06 2016 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
- Real Appeal’s interactive,
“positive-message” approach has secured high enrollment and success
rates, with more than one-third of participants achieving
meaningful weight loss
- Texas is one of the first states to
make Real Appeal available at no cost to state employees, retirees
and their dependents through their UnitedHealthcare plan
- Texas anticipates Real Appeal will
deliver significant health benefits and taxpayer savings
The State of Texas is taking bold steps to tackle obesity and
diabetes to improve the health of its workforce by offering an
innovative, weight-loss program called Real Appeal to current and
former state employees.
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Real Appeal’s weight loss kit includes
exercise DVDs, interactive scale, pedometer, blender, calorie and
weight-loss trackers, fitness guides, literature and more. The
highly interactive program also offers a weekly Internet TV show as
well as live coaching sessions (Photo: courtesy of Real
Appeal).
Real Appeal is offered at no additional cost to the state or its
employees through HealthSelect of Texas®, the health benefit plan
administered by UnitedHealthcare.
The Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) has made the
program available to its nearly 410,000 state employees, retirees
and their covered family members, and expects Real Appeal to
deliver meaningful results and savings for both participants and
taxpayers.
Real Appeal is a personalized, interactive, online weight-loss
program that uses personal coaches and a Hollywood cast to help
motivate participants to get active and healthy, and lose weight.
Designed to help solve America’s obesity and diabetes epidemic,
Real Appeal is a weight-loss program that gives people tools and
resources to help them succeed in their weight-loss journey. To see
Real Appeal in action, click here.
“We have the opportunity to make a real impact on the obesity
and diabetes epidemic that is taking a significant toll on the
health and financial resources of the state workforce, and at the
same time, deliver savings to taxpayers and participants in the
state health plan,” said Porter Wilson, executive director of ERS.
“By partnering with UnitedHealthcare to offer Real Appeal, we are
helping our employees and their families slim down and get
healthier.”
Obesity and type 2 diabetes are on the rise in Texas. Nearly 32
percent of adult Texans are obese, and nearly one in 10 have been
diagnosed with diabetes, according to America’s Health Rankings.
Diabetes costs the state an estimated $18.5 million a year,
according to a recent Texas Health and Human Services Commission
report.
“UnitedHealthcare is partnering with ERS of Texas to find new
ways to meet state employees’ health care needs and help them stay
on the path to better health,” said Tom Quirk, CEO,
UnitedHealthcare of Texas. “We are pleased to work with ERS to make
Real Appeal available to Health Select participants at no
additional cost.”
Real Appeal’s positive message of life-changing weight loss and
better health is driving high enrollment, participation and weight
loss rates among its enrollees nationwide. More than 100,000
participants have registered in Real Appeal since launching last
year. Of those who completed the program, 82 percent lost weight;
the average number of pounds lost per person is 10, and 38 percent
have had clinically relevant weight loss (5 percent or more),
putting them on a path to reduce their risk for weight-related
health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Real Appeal
is unique in that it takes a fresh and innovative approach to
success where traditional wellness and disease-management programs
have failed.
How Real Appeal WorksReal
Appeal provides numerous tools and resources people need to
succeed, including technology to deliver real human interaction,
education and engagement. The program offers an interactive weekly
online television series and group discussion, followed up with
live personal coaching. Coaches are available on-demand for
one-on-one consultation and support, making it convenient and easy
to participate.
Real Appeal’s weekly Internet show is based on evidence-based,
scientific research combined with award-winning writers and
on-screen talent. In addition to the live coaching sessions, the
interactive program includes digital tools for mobile devices and
web-based access, and a weight-loss kit with exercise DVDs,
interactive scale, pedometer, blender, calorie and weight-loss
trackers, fitness guides, literature and more.
The approach supports individuals taking small steps and
celebrating “wins” along the way, week-by-week over a full year,
that add up to big results that are sustainable in the long run and
can prevent weight-related health conditions – such as diabetes and
cardiovascular disease – down the line.
Texas is among the first states to offer Real Appeal to its
employees through their health plan. Other large customers include
UnitedHealth Group, 1-800 Flowers, the State of Colorado, the
School District of Palm Beach County in Florida and others.
About
UnitedHealthcareUnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping
people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health
care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and
sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company
offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for
individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and
their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and
contracts directly with more than 1 million physicians and care
professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities
nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and
well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at
www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.
Click here to subscribe to Mobile Alerts for UnitedHealth
Group.
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UnitedHealthcareDustin Clark,
214-438-8251dustin.clark@uhc.com
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