2008 Woodie Awards
Fair promotes health awareness
Scott Raynor
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: News
The Health and Fitness Fair, held last Wednesday in the Prairie Lounge in the University Union and sponsored by Campus Recreation, offered free health test screenings and information.
"(The Health and Fitness Fair) gives students an opportunity to see what their health status is now and to raise awareness for things they can be doing to improve their health," said Pam Terry, professor of health sciences.
The fair provided information on a wide array of health subjects, including cancer awareness and prevention, alcohol and drug abuse, sleep deprivation, proper nutrition and sexually transmitted infections while offering free health screenings and tests.
Terry argues these screenings are crucial due to students' lack of awareness when it comes to their own health, warning that not showing symptoms of bad health is not an indicator of good health.
Amy McCalister of the McDonough County Health Department stressed the importance of the screenings, especially in the case of sexually transmitted infections and glucose levels, as students are at high risk for Type 2 diabetes and sexually transmitted infections.
According to Terry, one-fourth of females ages 14 to 19 have at least one sexually transmitted infection.
McCalister suggested a few easy ways to improve overall health, including exercise, walking with friends outside and abiding by the cafeteria's mind, body and soul program for healthy eating. She added that if students want to enact changes in their residence hall's cafeteria menu, they can go to the managers of each facility or fill out a customer satisfaction form.
Students who would like to know more about their health are encouraged to go to the Beu Health Center, the McDonough County Health Department or The AOD Resource Center for alcohol- and drug-related problems.
"(The Health and Fitness Fair) gives students an opportunity to see what their health status is now and to raise awareness for things they can be doing to improve their health," said Pam Terry, professor of health sciences.
The fair provided information on a wide array of health subjects, including cancer awareness and prevention, alcohol and drug abuse, sleep deprivation, proper nutrition and sexually transmitted infections while offering free health screenings and tests.
Terry argues these screenings are crucial due to students' lack of awareness when it comes to their own health, warning that not showing symptoms of bad health is not an indicator of good health.
Amy McCalister of the McDonough County Health Department stressed the importance of the screenings, especially in the case of sexually transmitted infections and glucose levels, as students are at high risk for Type 2 diabetes and sexually transmitted infections.
According to Terry, one-fourth of females ages 14 to 19 have at least one sexually transmitted infection.
McCalister suggested a few easy ways to improve overall health, including exercise, walking with friends outside and abiding by the cafeteria's mind, body and soul program for healthy eating. She added that if students want to enact changes in their residence hall's cafeteria menu, they can go to the managers of each facility or fill out a customer satisfaction form.
Students who would like to know more about their health are encouraged to go to the Beu Health Center, the McDonough County Health Department or The AOD Resource Center for alcohol- and drug-related problems.
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