HealthMedia Launches First-Ever Binge Eating Campaign and Intervention to Take on Nation's Top Eating Disorder

Web-Based Program Fills Large Industry Gap in Obesity and Weight Management Treatment

ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- 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, and medication adherence, is launching HealthMedia(R)
Overcoming(TM) Binge Eating. This revolutionary new program is the first
solution of its kind that addresses America's top eating disorder and its
growing impact on healthcare costs and productivity. The highly effective,
evidence-based program emulates the experience of an around-the-clock
health coach, nutritionist, and psychologist working together via the web
to help individuals suffering from Binge Eating Disorder (BED) regain
control of their eating and emotions.

Just as a psychologist would do, Overcoming Binge Eating connects with
each individual, and gathers detailed information such as distinct eating
triggers, motivation, self confidence, stage of change, and barriers to
change. Then, using HealthMedia's Fusion(TM) technology, Overcoming Binge
Eating creates a personalized, highly tailored program to help individuals
control their eating and enjoy a higher quality of life.

An untailored version of the program is being used successfully by
treatment centers and individuals throughout the world, and has been proven
to reduce frequency of compulsive overeating by 40 percent, and
significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Highmark Inc. and
other health plans and employers are recognizing and responding to the need
to address binge eating, and are offering the newly enhanced and tailored
binge eating program to their members and employees over the next few
months.

"Highmark has long been at the forefront of leading initiatives aimed
at fighting obesity in children and adults. We are very pleased that
HealthMedia has developed an online program to address binge eating," said
Donald R. Fischer, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer at
Highmark Inc. "Because of the secrecy associated with this disorder,
individuals often do not readily seek treatment. The confidential,
non-threatening approach of Overcoming Binge Eating makes this online tool
a valuable addition to the treatment of this complex problem. Highmark
plans to offer this program to our employees and members."

"Like insomnia, binge eating is one of those issues that affect
productivity and a range of medical outcomes, particularly when binge
eating is co-morbid with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart
disease," said Ted Dacko, HealthMedia President and CEO. "Binge eating
interventions fill a critical gap in health and wellness, disease
management, and behavioral health, and should be an integral part of any
weight management or obesity program."

"Researchers now believe that like other eating disorders, there are
psychiatric reasons for binge eating and it all feeds into an obesity
epidemic that seems to start in childhood," said NBC reporter Tom Costello,
on a recent episode of the Today show. The effects and severity of BED were
also echoed by Costello in a recent NBC News segment
(http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-us&vid=d97b6451-60f5-41db-be4f-
e8cf48cd343f). (Due to the length of the URL, please copy and paste into
your browser.)

This program is just one part of HealthMedia's national campaign to
call attention to binge eating. In the U.S. alone, BED is estimated to be
responsible for $33 million in lost productivity and medical expenses
annually. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week
that more than a quarter of Americans are now obese - up nearly two percent
between 2005 and 2007. Up to 25% of obese individuals suffer from Binge
Eating Disorder. "Most organizations have a weight management program, but
they are missing the binge eating component, which is why we built this
program," added Dacko. "By adding this revolutionary product to the
MyHealthMedia suite, we are filling an enormous gap in the marketplace."

"Binge eating disorder - often a secretive illness - frequently goes
undiagnosed so it is hard to get a true picture of how many people suffer,"
said Lynn Grefe, CEO, National Eating Disorder Association. "All reports
indicate it affects many millions. The medical and psychological
consequences can be devastating, whether associated with bulimia or
obesity. As with all eating disorders, early intervention is vital to
successful recovery."

Binge Eating Facts:

-- Binge eating now tops the nation's list of eating disorders - more
prevalent than anorexia and bulimia combined

-- BED sufferers repeatedly consume large amounts of food at one
sitting (more than 1,500 calories), and often eat to cope with stress or
numb themselves from depression or past traumas

-- According to a recent study, 3.5% of females and 2% of males (over 6
million Americans) suffer from binge eating

-- Up to 25% of obese individuals suffer from BED, a fact that assumes
even greater importance as the national rate of obesity is peaking at an
all-time high. Obesity is the second cause of preventable deaths in the
U.S. and over 25 percent or 50 million Americans are considered obese

-- Most binge eaters are desperate for help, but stigma and
embarrassment often prevent them from seeking treatment

-- While treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be
effective for binge eaters, too many go undiagnosed and too few know where
to go for help

-- Many binge eaters have reported that diet and weight loss treatment
programs recommended by their doctor not only ignored the psychological and
emotional elements, but in many cases caused their BED to escalate

About HealthMedia, Inc.

HealthMedia, Inc. is the world's innovator in combining advanced
technology and behavioral science to effectively emulate a health coach via
the web. HealthMedia applies its revolutionary Fusion(TM) technology to
address the five most problematic pain points facing the health industry
today: participation, scalability, cost, efficacy, and return on
investment. HealthMedia's suite of interventions provides 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, Johnson & Johnson,
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, Corphealth,
Health Dialog, Wellsource, and SHPS. For more information, visit
http://www.healthmedia.com .