Yokota's HAWC teaches healthy lifestyle decisions

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Lynsie Lorenz
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  Yokota's Health and Wellness Center (HAWC) hosts a series of nutrition and weight-loss classes designed to help promote healthy living through a balanced diet and regular exercise.

The HAWC offers classes once a week every other month to all base identification card holders at no cost.

"This class is here to help anyone who needs that little push in the right direction to a healthy weight," said Staff Sgt. Treshawna Gwendo, Health and Wellness Center diet therapist. "We've all said, at one point in time, that we would like to lose weight or become healthier, but truth be told not everyone knows how to do it healthfully."

The class provides the tools needed for healthy weight loss and covers goal setting, meal planning strategies, fitness and behavior change.

The program also emphasizes healthy lifestyles and helps to improve military readiness and productivity through promoting physical, psychological and social well-being, and by preventing disease and injury.

"These classes are designed to motivate airmen to adapt to a healthy lifestyle," said Sergeant Gwendo. "We need to be fit to fight and get our bodies and minds healthy to withstand what's being asked of us."

"A healthy airman will have no worries doing the mission to the best of his or her ability," added Sergeant Gwendo.

Being overweight or obese increases your risk for high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain types of cancer, arthritis, and breathing problems.
The physical activity guideline recommends that adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity three times a week.

To determine a healthy calorie intake, the class uses the Mifflin St. Jeor Equation.

Male: Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR) = 10 x weight + 6.25 x height - 5 x age + 5
Female: BMR = 10 x weight + 6.25 x height - 5 x age + 5

These equations require the weight in kilograms, the height in centimeters and the age in years.

To determine total daily calorie needs, the BMR has to be multiplied by the appropriate activity factor as follows:

1.2 = sedentary (little or no exercise)
1.375 = lightly active (light exercise/sports one to three days a week)
1.55 = moderately active (moderate exercise/sports three to five days a week)
1.725 = very active (hard exercise/sports six to seven days a week)
1.9 = extra active (very hard exercise/sports and a physical job)

The class also encourages members to use a food journal to track their eating habits.

"Keeping a food journal is quite simple," said Sergeant Gwendo. "You need to list meal time, description of food, amount of calories and trigger for eating, other than hunger."

Sergeant Gwendo said that a healthy weight loss goal is 1-2 pounds weekly, achieving it by eating 25-35 grams of fiber, drinking 80-90 full ounces of water and exercising three times a week for 30 minutes.

As far as getting a person to work out, Sergeant Gwendo adds, "Exercise helps us feel better, it's a stress reducer, it curbs our appetite and increases your commitment to eating healthy."

For more information contact the HAWC at 225-8322.