SPOTLIGHTS

PERSONAL NUTRITION COACHING ENDS A SUCCESSFUL 1st YEAR

Whether your team sport is swimming, baseball, field hockey, cross-country, football or the debate team, success is a team effort. Often coaches lose their jobs if the team does not have a successful season. Based on healthy wins, the Gettysburg College Human Resource Wellness Committee has won the pennant having completed their fourth year with the Wellness Program.

Their strategy to improve the well being of staff and faculty has been so successful that Highmark Blue Shield has appointed them to be one of their first Community Sites to deliver the Highmark Wellness Programs to all members in the area.

New this year to the Wellness Program was Personal Nutrition Coaching (PNC), which allowed persons following the Nutrition tract to visit with a registered dietitian for seven visits through out the year. Participants following the Wellness Program points tract could also select to do PNC. Unlike medical nutrition referrals where a doctor orders a patient to follow a specific diet, PNC allows the participant to set their own healthy eating goals. Eleanor B Pella, MS, RD, LND, coached (and cheered) the participants to reach their monthly goals and she provided resources and nutrition education to supplement the goals.

Over 70 persons from the college and 20 from the community enrolled in PNC. Pella said, " Setting small, realistic attainable goals each month helped people reach larger health outcomes", like losing weight and reducing cholesterol levels. Participants were surprised but glad to see their families work with them on goals such as trying new vegetable, bean and whole grain dishes.  Pella said the college candy vending machines are not in such demand any more now that some PNC participants are finding healthier alternatives for snacking.

"It's a win-win situation for us", said Regina Campo, Co-Director of Human Resources at the college and a member of the Wellness Committee. "Our employees are healthier, more productive and making the same positive healthy changes in their families and homes as well."

If you are interested in enrolling in PNC or other Gettysburg College Wellness classes contact Human Resources at: 337-6202.