Healthline

THE GREAT AMERICAN WEIGH IN wants to spread the word that eating well and staying active does more than shed pounds: It fights cancer.

On March 5, at least a dozen Weight Watchers centers in the Tampa Bay area will join centers nationwide to offer free Body Mass Index measurements to the public in cooperation with the American Cancer Society. Body Mass Index is a calculation that shows if one's weight is within a healthy range for one's height.

Surveys show that as few as 1 percent of the public knows that maintaining weight can reduce the risk of cancer.

The centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. To find participating locations, call toll-free 1-800-651-6000 or go to www.weightwatchers.com. More information on the event and a Body Mass Index calculator can be found at www.cancer.org.

Also on that day, in Washington, D.C., Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers International, will join medical specialists in a meeting with members of Congress about cancer prevention.

The American Cancer Society advises a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, with less red meat and less fat, and regular physical activity.

NIGHT SCHOOL for people who want to know more about preventing and treating colon cancer is in March at Tampa General Hospital.

Colorectal, or colon, cancer is the second-most lethal cancer in the United States. Annual screenings for the disease or its precursors are recommended for women and men 50 and older.

The classes, co-sponsored by the American Cancer Society, will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays. Registration and refreshments will be from 6 to 6:30.

Dates and topics are:

-- March 5 -- Lifestyle changes that can prevent colon cancer and the importance of early detection, with Kerri Miglionico of the Greater Tampa American Cancer Society.

-- March 12 -- Diagnosis and treatment, with Dr. H. Juergen Nord of the gastroenterology lab at Tampa General.

-- March 19 -- Stages and treatment of colon cancer, wtih Dr. Jorge Marcet, director of colon and rectal surgery.

The classes will be at the hospital in the MacInnes Auditorium on the second floor.

For information or to register, call (813) 844-4977.

HEALTH EDUCATORS recently met in Tampa to learn how to teach Florida middle school students about building strong bones.

The effort is sponsored by MORE HEALTH Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in Hillsborough County 12 years ago to teach health and injury prevention to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The program teaches two dozen topics annually to 140,000 students in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

"We empower the kids to make healthier choices," says Karen Pesce, a registered nurse and MORE HEALTH's executive director. "School teachers are swamped with teaching the basics, and health education is not a priority. We decided to make it fun and free to the schools."

Bone mass is acquired during childhood and the teenage years, peaking in the 20s. Exercise and proper nutrition, particularly eating foods rich in calcium and vitamin D, builds the bone density that serves one through old age.

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