EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., June 15, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Helping
people understand how they can harness their own personal values, unique
way of thinking, and work and personal situations to help them live
healthier lives is the focus of a new approach to health coaching that
CIGNA is implementing in its programs that help members better manage
stress, achieve their ideal weight and quit smoking.
"Through these programs, we are proactively engaging individuals who
are at risk of poor health in the future but who feel healthy today, so
they can better understand and address risks that are likely to cause an
illness tomorrow or a few years down the road," said Keith Dixon, president
of CIGNA Behavioral Health and CareAllies. "And we think that a focus on
wellness and prevention is a necessary and significant step to improving
health in our communities and across the country."
U.S. statistics related to health effects of lifestyle behaviors are
sobering. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors can prevent or control the effects of
chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, which account
for seven out of every 10 deaths and affect the quality of life of 90
million Americans. Yet an estimated one out of five adults is a tobacco
user, and 66 percent of the U.S. population is overweight.(1) Additionally,
an estimated 60 percent to 90 percent of primary care physician visits
include a stress-related component.(2)
And, according to a recent national survey conducted by CIGNA
HealthCare, while most Americans know the fundamentals of good health such
as the importance of diet and exercise, many feel ill-equipped for success
when it comes to managing stress or quitting smoking. In fact, only about
half of those who said that managing stress or smoking cessation were the
most important things they could do to improve their health this year
believed they could successfully stop smoking (55%) or manage stress
(51%).(3)
To help individuals reach their health goals, the new lifestyle
management programs utilize a variety of behavioral modification techniques
to help individuals make life-long changes in their health behaviors. This
approach is also being incorporated more broadly into all of CIGNA's health
and wellness coaching and outreach programs.
Participants in CIGNA's lifestyle management programs work with their
own personal coach who can help them develop successful strategies to make
healthy choices. "We know that people intellectually understand that they
need to change unhealthy behaviors. But we also know that many people don't
know how to get started and how to stay on track. Our 30 years of behavior
change experience has led to the development of our coaching programs that
will help individuals unlock their personal motivations to make lasting
change," said Jodi Prohofsky, vice president of clinical development and
operations for CIGNA Behavioral Health and CareAllies.
CIGNA lifestyle management programs include:
-- Weight Management: A non-diet approach to weight loss based on a
varied and tailored eating plan personalized to the individual that was
developed by a team of registered dieticians, exercise physiologists,
and behavioral health specialists. Participants learn to be aware of
their body's reactions to hunger and food by learning about the
emotions and sensations related to hunger, eating, and fullness.
-- Stress Management: A program to improve vitality and health
satisfaction by addressing physical activity, nutrition, sleep,
relaxation techniques, and coping - all critical to successful
management of negative stress.
-- Tobacco Cessation: A personalized plan, including individual and group
coaching, to help tobacco users quit. The program includes over-the-
counter nicotine replacement therapy in the form of a patch or gum at
no cost to the participant.
These new programs will go into effect September 1, 2007. Each program
participant receives condition-specific educational materials. Coaches and
resources are available in both English and Spanish.
About CIGNA
As a Business of Caring, CIGNA Corporation (NYSE: CI) through its
operating subsidiaries provides employers with benefits, expertise and
services that improve the health, well-being and productivity of their
employees. With approximately 47 million covered lives in the United States
and around the world, CIGNA's operating subsidiaries offer a full portfolio
of medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits
and group life, accident and disability insurance.
(1) Centers for Disease Control
(2) American Institute for Stress
(3) Health and Well-being in America, a survey sponsored by CIGNA
HealthCare, February, 2007
SOURCE CIGNA
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Related links:
http://www.cigna.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/165050.html /
CONTACT:
Arlys Stadum of CIGNA, +1-763-559-5587,
arlys.stadum@cigna.com
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