Fight for fitness, nutrition, health tops Warren’s mindset, vision

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Daryl Knee
  • 90th Space Wing Public Affairs
F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. --  A nutrition class takes place twice a month at the Warren Health and Wellness Center. 

The class provides tools to optimize overall health performance by regulating good nutrition. 

"The classes are not mandatory," said Cindy Mulcahy, health and wellness center director. "They're here to help you evaluate how you live your life, what you're eating and the risks involved with poor nutrition." 

Heart disease is the number one killer for America, Ms. Mulcahy said. Bad diet coupled with low physical activity may result in future heart problems. 

"[Air Force diet professionals] are not only worried about how you look in a uniform," she said. "For some people, regaining that good health is a factor in their Air Force career." 

A recent Air Force statistic indicated that more than 45 percent of AF members are overweight and nearly 15 percent are obese. With the implementation of physical fitness on the performance report, stricter fitness and nutrition standards may soon be set in place. 

"The key is managing your energy intake," Ms. Mulcahy said. "There's a line between energy intake and energy expenditure. If you take in more energy or calories than you burn, you're going to gain weight." 

Be careful in reading the nutrition tables for foods, she said. The values are broken down into serving size, amounts per serving and servings per container. Eating more than one serving could have negative effects on your daily nutritional balance. 

"Most people eat until they are full," Ms. Mulcahy said. "However, the ideal serving size is about the size of your fist." 

An example Ms. Mulcahy likes to use is cereal. She pointed to a more-than-decent sized cereal bowl. "Have you ever eaten a bowl of cereal this big? Well, that's about six servings." 

Weight loss and nutrition management is important, but it all depends on how the person feels, Ms. Mulcahy said. 

"Altogether, it's your choice whether or not you want to get fit and healthy," she said. "Make the right decision." 

The health and wellness center staff have many tips for how to manage nutrition and weight loss. For more information call 773-4292.