Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Grant to OASIS Institute Aims to Tackle Obesity "Crunch Time"

Proven Wellness Program Helping Kids and Adults Stay Active, Eat Right

A recent poll by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that during the “crunch time” hours between 3 p.m. and bedtime, 60 percent of children tend to eat or drink something that can lead to unhealthy weight gain. The OASIS Institute (OASIS) and the Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation are trying to reverse this alarming statistic and improve the health of children and adults in the process.

Today, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation renewed its commitment to OASIS’ CATCH Health Habits wellness program in Missouri with an $111,000 grant for 2013.

CATCH Healthy Habits connects adults age 50-plus with children to encourage healthier eating and physical activity. Children play active games, learn about food choices and have the opportunity to make and sample healthy snacks. The program typically takes place in the after school hours and is currently available in 19 major cities across the country, including in St. Louis at schools, YMCA and Boys & Girls Club locations in the metro area.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation previously provided a two-year, $206,510 grant to OASIS in 2011 to bring the intergenerational program to St. Louis for the first time.

“The health risks associated with sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition affect children and adults, but we’re finding that by pairing these two age groups together they can be role models for each other,” said Steve Martenet, president, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri. “We’re proud to continue our support of the CATCH Healthy Habits and will continue working to strengthen and expand health-improving resources and programs throughout our state.”

National results from the first two years of CATCH Healthy Habits show the program is working.

The number of children eating two or more fruits a day increased by 12 (from baseline); 15 percent were eating three or more vegetables a day; 87 percent liked the program’s healthy snacks; 90 percent had fun exercising; and 86 percent enjoyed learning about health.

“It’s obvious that children will be healthier when we substitute games and physical activity for television watching or video games,” said Marcia Kerz, president of OASIS. “CATCH Healthy Habits provides a proven alternative for ‘crunch time’ by showing children and adults ways they can stay active, eat healthy and still have lots of fun.”

Health and habit improvements have also been experienced by the adult volunteers who help lead the CATCH Healthy Habits programs. In fact, 28 percent of the adult volunteers reported eating three or more vegetables a day; 10 percent ate two or more fruits; and 11percent reported their sedentary behavior decreased by 11 percent, with 22 percent participating in moderate physical activity five or more days a week and 17 percent participating in vigorous physical activity three or more days a week.

In St. Louis, the level of participation in the program surpassed projections. It was estimated that by the end of the first grant period (December 2012) the combined number of child and adult participants would be 725. The total was actually 1,095, an increase of 51% more than anticipated. In that same grant period, over 9200 volunteer hours were contributed, a market value of nearly $185,000.

CATCH Healthy Habits volunteer, Linda Herman, noted that she likes working with young people, getting them into a different zone and introducing them to new foods, adding “It also makes me self-conscious about what I eat myself.” Evelyn Gillespie, another St. Louis volunteer, feels the same. “I look forward to this because I’m reaching children,” she says. “And being a volunteer in the program means I benefit too. We need more activity in our lives no matter how old we are.”

Across the country, nearly 6,200 children in kindergarten through the fifth grade participated in CATCH Healthy Habits in 2011-2012, and more than 900 adult volunteers were trained by OASIS to lead the program.

CATCH Healthy Habits is currently offered in the following cities: Atlanta; Cleveland; Denver; Escondido, San Diego Los Angeles and Long Beach Calif.; Hartford, Conn.; Indianapolis; Manchester, N.H.; Las Vegas; Louisville, Ky.; Madison, Wis.; New York City; Portland, Maine; Richmond, Va.; and St. Louis. Two new programs – Sacramento, Calif. and Tucson, Ariz.– are starting later this spring.

Adults interested in volunteering in the CATCH Healthy Habits program can contact OASIS CATCH Healthy Habits coordinator, Shelby Schroeder at (314) 653-4092, e-mail: sschroeder@oasisnet.org, or visit www.catchhealthyhabits.org.

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri
In Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area) Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name for RightCHOICE® Managed Care, Inc. (RIT), Healthy Alliance® Life Insurance Company (HALIC), and HMO Missouri, Inc. RIT and certain affiliates administer non-HMO benefits underwritten by HALIC and HMO benefits underwritten by HMO Missouri, Inc. RIT and certain affiliates only provide administrative services for self-funded plans and do not underwrite benefits. Independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at  www.twitter.com/healthjoinin, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HealthJoinIn, or visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/healthjoinin.

About the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation
Through charitable grant making, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation LLC, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, promotes Anthem’s inherent commitment to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield serves. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and provide innovative solutions to health care challenges, as well as promoting the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets specific disease states and medical conditions. These include: prenatal care in the first trimester, low birth weight babies, cardiac morbidity rates, long term activities that decrease obesity and increase physical activity, diabetes prevalence in adult populations, adult pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations and smoking cessation. The Foundation also coordinates the company’s annual associate giving campaign and its parent foundation provides a 50 percent match of associates’ campaign pledges. ®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About the OASIS Institute
OASIS is a national education organization dedicated to enriching the lives of adults age 50 and older through lifelong learning and service. Offering stimulating programs in the arts, humanities, health, technology and volunteer service, OASIS brings people together to learn, lead and contribute in their communities. The OASIS Institute in St. Louis is the headquarters of a national network that serves a diverse audience through educational centers and community partners in 43 U.S. cities and 25 states. For more information, visit www.oasisnet.org