Wellness Programs

• United Health Care encourages employers to focus on preventative medicine in an effort to cost medical costs. They claim that the returns for doing so can amount up to $3 to $6 on the dollar within a 2- to 5-year period. According to the insurance carrier, more than half of the adults in the United States are inactive, and one-third were obese from 2003 to 2004. Cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes type 2 are some of the diseases that can be offset by losing weight with your employer's wellness program. Through United Health Care's health discount program, users can save 10 to 50 percent on a variety of health care products.
  
  

Weight Watchers

• Weight Watchers is a plan that includes counseling and food monitoring through a process called POINTS. POINTS take into account the calories, fat and dietary fiber in each item of food and gives it a POINTS value. Alternatively, dieters may stick to a certain list of whole, unprocessed foods and stop eating when they are full. Weight Watchers also encourages physical activity, water consumption, multivitamin intake and and a well-balance diet of fruits, vegetables, lean dairy and protein, and whole grains. Customers attend a weekly meeting and talk with others about their diet and exercise issues. Alternatively, customers can opt in an online or at-work program.
  
  

Jenny Craig

• Jenny Craig is a plan that focuses on calorie consumption and provides customers with prepackaged foods that they then supplement with fresh fruits and vegetables. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are all supplied by the Jenny Craig system, and customers must strictly adhere to their daily caloric allowances. In a more private setting, compared to Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig customers are assigned to a counselor who meets weekly to discuss diet, exercise and life issues.
  
  

MyUHC.com

• United Health Care also has its own portal that can be used as a weight loss program. There are various tools and resources, including health care assessments and articles with pertinent information for those trying to lose weight. Other tools include a meal plan, a portion sizer, a food journal and an online health coach to help you reach your weight-loss goals.
  
  

Other Options

• Check with your health insurance carrier for other products that are eligible for a discount through United Health Care. These may include a membership to Curves and other health clubs, as well as NordicTrack equipment.