CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A three-year partnership between the state's largest Medicaid provider and Weight Watchers has had mixed success in reducing West Virginia's obesity rate.

Since 2007, about 221 West Virginians covered by UniCare have lost about 621 pounds -- an average of about 3 pounds per person -- through the weight-loss program covered by their Medicaid carrier.

"We've had some success," said Mitch Collins, field operations director for UniCare Health Plan Inc. "Obesity and weight loss is a very personal issue. Sometimes it is hard for folks to ask and understand some of the tough decisions they need to make."

One of the program's most successful participants lost 71 pounds and attended 41 weekly Weight Watcher meetings, Collins said.

"We want people to utilize services to help them be well and improve their health statistics because in the end, it does ultimately save the system and us money," Collins said.

More than one-third of West Virginians are obese, and contribute to about $140 million in obesity-related costs to Medicaid, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The high cost comes from treatment for obesity-related diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer.

UniCare covers about 80,000 West Virginians in 50 counties. Only recipients who obtain a physician's referral and score within a specific range on the fat-measuring body-mass index are eligible to take up to 16 weeks of free courses from Weight Watchers.

The number of eligible recipients through UniCare is a drop in the bucket, compared to the 390,000 state residents currently covered by Medicaid.

The number of Medicaid recipients is expected to grow by about 122,000 with the expansion of the program to cover residents who earn less than 133 percent of the poverty level.

Weight Watchers has a proven record of helping people reform their diet and make more healthful decisions, so it makes sense that insurance companies would cover these programs, said Millie Snyder, area director for Weight Watchers.

"Where are the other insurance companies?" Snyder asked. She also wondered what proactive steps those companies are taking to reduce obesity rates.

Between 1999 and 2009, West Virginia's obesity rate jumped from 24.6 percent to 31.1 percent, according to the CDC.

There are a number of factors that contribute to obesity, but the main denominators are poverty and environment, Snyder said.

Weight loss starts with the person taking steps to learn about healthy eating habits and applying it to their life, Snyder said. A person will most likely not take these steps if the resources and support they need are not available, she said

"People are looking for some sort of a magic thing to drop out of the sky, or a magic pill, and none of those things exist. We need to take responsibility for ourselves," Snyder said.

The foundation of Weight Watchers is education and support -- teaching people about portion control, healthy food options and offering weekly support meetings, she said.

"We're not looking for fast weight loss, we're looking for good, steady progress," she said.

Weight Watchers costs about $30 to register and $12 a week to participate.

Reach Veronica Nett at veroni...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5113.