Laura Luecke, Registered Dietitian for Wabash General Hospital, teamed up again this semester with Carla Cadwalader, Nutrition instructor at Wabash Valley College, to speak to WVC students about lifestyle diseases. Lifestyle diseases are diseases associated with the way a person or group of people lives. They include atherosclerosis, heart disease, and stroke; obesity and type 2 diabetes; and diseases associated with smoking and alcohol and drug abuse. Luecke has worked with Cadwalader for four years now helping students at the start of the semester to figure their BMI, set a health goal for the semester, and answer numerous questions that students have about overall health.
This resource provided by our local hospital each semester builds a bridge between our community hospital and students who are often far away from home and familiar resources. Luecke returns at the end of each semester to see if students have achieved their health and nutrition goals. Cadwalader says that students often make evident changes, such as giving up soda, losing weight, and trying new foods. Students are encouraged to set measurable goals that they can achieve in one semester. Wabash Valley College appreciates the community resources that our local professionals bring to the WVC classrooms.
