Combating the Obesity Epidemic: Health Net of California Designs Programs and Services to Help Children and Families.

LOS ANGELES -- Health Net of California, Inc. - motivated by the rising number of young people being treated for what were once considered "adult diseases" - is building comprehensive education programs to address childhood and family obesity and weight management.

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"We're seeing reports that nearly 20 percent of 4-year-olds are obese," said Dave Meadows, vice president of State Health Programs for Health Net. "And we're seeing more and more young people being treated for heart disease, high blood pressure, cancers, joint diseases and other obesity-related problems. Just a few years ago, these trends among children were virtually unheard of."

The lynchpins of Health Net's programs are:

Fit Families for Life offers a five-week, in-home program for the whole family that employs innovative approaches to childhood and family weight management issues. The program encompasses numerous nutrition and physical activity topics and is available to Health Net Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, Healthy Kids and Access for Infants and Mothers members throughout California. This home-based program will be expanded to the public through a series of community classes in which enrollment and materials will be offered at no charge. In addition, Health Net members with high Body Mass Index levels also are eligible for a new personalized, telephone-based Fit Families for Life coaching program.

Club Fitness incorporates a proactive approach to addressing the obesity epidemic through free short- and long-term programs providing nutrition education, sports activities and self-empowerment exercises. Club Fitness, which is supported by the Sacramento Kings, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Sacramento, The Legends Kids First, Patterson Joint Unified School District and Del Puerto Health Center, has served more than 600 Sacramento and Stanislaus county youngsters at risk of being overweight or obese, resulting in measurable outcomes in the areas of personal transformation, better nutrition and fitness knowledge, increased self-esteem and positive lifestyle changes. More information about Club Fitness is on this video.

Support for health care providers is available through a free toolkit providing strategies to assess and treat conditions in individuals who are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. The kit, which includes an illustrative flip chart designed by Health Net for use in patient exam rooms, is available to any health care provider who participates in Health Net's Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, Healthy Kids and Access for Infants and Mothers programs. The kit was developed by the California Medical Association Foundation and the California Association of Health Plans.

Telephone access in any language. Health Net members with Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, Healthy Kids and Access for Infants and Mothers coverage have 24/7 access - in any language - to Health Net's nutrition information line, with the option to speak with a registered dietitian. Members also may request materials from Health Net's extensive library of educational material to help families lead a healthy lifestyle.

Health Net members interested in any of the above programs may contact Health Net's Health Education Department at 800-804-6074.

Decision Power(sm) health and wellness program. Health Net of California commercial and Medicare members have access to the innovative Decision Power weight management program, which provides free web-based educational modules, plus one-on-one, telephone-based access to individual health coaches who can provide information and motivation to help members better manage their weight.

Of the participants completing Decision Power's weight loss program, 47 percent reported losing at least 5 percent of their initial body weight.

For more information, members click on "Decision Power" from the home page at www.healthnet.com.

Community Sponsorships. Health Net strongly believes in public collaboration to help reduce the burden of obesity in the communities it serves. It does so through sponsorships to organizations like:

* The Los Angeles Futbol Club-Chelsea. Health Net partnered with the club to help spread the message of healthy eating and active living among players' peers. Social networking strategies include an online team video and appearances at schools and community events.

* Fifth Biennial Childhood Obesity Conference. This June 2009 event in Los Angeles will bring health care and community leaders together for interactive workshops, presentations and insight on the most pressing childhood obesity issues and highlights of effective prevention efforts and programs.

Employer Partnerships

In a pilot program conducted in partnership with an employer during the first quarter of 2009, participants lost on an average of more than 8 pounds and reduced their Body Mass Index (BMI) by 4.0 points.

"This kind of weight loss can improve blood pressure and other conditions associated with obesity," said Venus Valencia, Health Net of California's wellness program manager.

As a result of the pilot program's success, the classes will be expanded in 2009 to additional employers.

About Health Net

Health Net of California, Inc., a subsidiary of Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT), is one of the largest health plans in the state. Together with Health Net Life Insurance Company, it serves more than 2.2 million members statewide and contracts with more than 56,000 physicians, 300-plus hospitals and nearly 5,000 pharmacies, giving its members greater choice and more convenient access to care. Its commercial HMO and POS lines of business and its Medicare line of business have received the "Excellent" accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, and its Medicaid line of business has received the "Commendable" accreditation status. For more information about Health Net, visit its Web site at www.healthnet.com