ANN ARBOR, MICH. – February 23, 2009– HealthMedia, Inc., the pioneer in applying advanced technology to emulate a health coaching session via the web – without the coach – for wellness, disease management, behavioral health, medication adherence, and aging well, will host a complimentary webinar on Wednesday, February 25 from 2:00-3:00 pm EST. The one-hour presentation titled, Population Management of Binge Eating Disorder: Is It Part of Your Obesity Solution?, will be hosted by Dr. Richard Bedrosian, Ph.D., director of Behavioral Health for HealthMedia, Inc. and Chevese Turner, CEO and founder of the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA).
For the average person, the term “eating disorder” likely brings to mind anorexia and bulimia. Most people do not realize that binge eating disorder (BED) is by far the most common eating problem - affecting six million people in the US each year (2-3 percent of the population), or that $33 billion in productivity, health care, and medical expenses can be attributed to BED annually. Even fewer people are aware of its close relationship with obesity, and its impact on health and productivity. Because of this relationship, employers and health plans must try to reach more people who suffer from binge eating by:
• Screening their populations to identify individuals that are at risk for or showing symptoms of BED
• Providing help early on, before a more serious or chronic condition develops
• Making confidential, low-cost interventions available to individuals who need help, but may never come forward.
“Research has shown that obese patients with binge eating disorder experience far more medical and psychological symptoms than obese individuals without an eating problem,” said Dr. Bedrosian. “Not surprisingly, binge eating complicates the management of chronic medical conditions, and sabotages the effectiveness of weight loss programs, bariatric surgery, and other interventions for obesity.”
The binge eating population is not specific to one socio-economic class or gender. Compared to those with no eating problems, binge eaters are more likely to have difficulty with type II diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, and stroke. People with binge eating disorder also have high rates of co-morbid psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression, and a substantially higher risk of suicide.
In honor of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (February 22-28, 2009), please join us for this webinar that will focus on BED’s close relationship with obesity, and its impact on healthcare costs and productivity. The presentation will review data from over 1600 participants of HealthMedia® Overcoming™ Binge Eating - a web-based program designed to help individuals stop binge eating and compulsive eating - providing deeper insights into the attitudes, emotions, and behaviors associated with this problem.
The webinar will review treatment research and best practice approaches, shown to be most effective with BED. Recommendations will be made for effective, scalable population management of the disorder as it relates to obesity, with a focus on screening and prevention, as well as remediation. To register, please go to http://www.signup4.net/public/ap.aspx?EID=TAKE21E&OID=130.
About HealthMedia, Inc.
HealthMedia, Inc., a Johnson and Johnson Company, is the world’s innovator in combining advanced technology and behavioral science to effectively emulate a health coach via the web. HealthMedia applies its Fusion™ Technology to address the most problematic pain points facing the health industry today: participation, scalability, cost, efficacy, ownership, and return on investment. HealthMedia’s suite of interventions provide automated web-based coaching for wellness, disease management, behavioral health, and medication adherence with proven outcomes, increased compliance, reduced medical utilization, and increased productivity – boosting profitability for health plans, employers, pharmaceutical companies, and behavioral health organizations. Clients include Kaiser Permanente, Daiichi Sankyo, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, Inc., Community First Health Plans, and nine Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations across the United States. HealthMedia partners include APS Healthcare, LifeSynch, Health Dialog, SHPS, and StayWell Custom Communications, LLC. For more information, visit www.healthmedia.com.
Editorial Contact
Caren Kenney
Director of Corporate Communications
508-942-4407
ckenney@healthmedia.com
Secondary Contact
Mia Cupp
Corporate Communications Manager
734-536-2006
mcupp@healthmedia.com