HAWC helps Dyess Airmen stay Fit to Fight

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Alexander Guerrero
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  There is a nationwide epidemic of obesity, but would you believe there is a military-wide issue of being overweight?

The Health and Wellness Center here wants to fix this public health issue by helping Airmen lead healthier lives and making more health conscious choices. The HAWC is offering new programs and educational health classes to make this easier for Airmen who, after Oct. 1, will no longer have the option to eat at the Longhorn Dining Facility.

"We have multiple classes available, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease awareness and we're starting new classes that help out single Airmen, such as a grocery tour," said Dorian Venable, a licensed dietician at the HAWC. "It will basically make sure Airmen have their grocery plan together, as well as going through the commissary and picking out healthier items."

The grocery tour will educate Airmen on what and what not to buy and, with the guidance of a licensed dietician, help them pick the healthiest and most cost efficient foods and produce.

"We have a class, Better Body Better Life, every Monday," said Yyolany Caffrey, the health program coordinator, also a licensed dietician "That class is mainly for the Airmen, because it's not diagnoses specific, like high cholesterol and diabetes, but it focuses on your health behaviors."

Both dieticians agree the biggest part of making a healthy lifestyle is being able or wanting to change your behavior. Things like choosing what, how much, and making a plan as to what you're going to eat are very much a part of that behavior change.

"Planning is the key. If you know if you're going out to eat and are not going to order something healthy, plan out the meal." Caffery said, "Also, eat in moderation. If you have a regular Whopper burger, a side of fries, and a medium soda, you'd have to run 22 miles just to burn that off. That's 1007 calories. Instead of a Whopper, get a Whopper Jr., water instead of soda and salad instead of fries."

Although classes such as the Eating Healthy on a Budget, and those available at the HAWC are free, informative and open to anyone it is up to Airmen to take what they've learned and apply it.

"We cannot shelter Airmen and we are not the 'food police.' The Airmen have to make the healthy decision themselves," Caffrey said. "We are here to help them."

The dieticians have a number of examples of healthy foods that are relatively inexpensive and are easily stored in a dorm room shelf or refrigerator.

"There are frozen bags of mixed fruit Airmen could keep in their freezers. They're prewashed, precut and ready to serve once they're thawed or heated up," Venable said. "There's also oatmeal, dairy such as yogurt, whole wheat bread, canned or bagged tuna in water and the there's some things you would have to cook such as rice pasta."

Venable and Caffrey both strongly recommend all Airmen, especially those living on base, attend the Healthy Eating on a Budget, which will be held at the base theater on Sept. 26.