HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1986-10-08, Page 7All community health services will -be outlined
Times -Advocate, October 8, 1986
Page 7
Nealtit Fair wi// ror�ovalutibl• for all ag•s Canada's Food Guide and intake of
several nutrients. It would be helpful
• U students came to the display with
their previous day's food intake writ-
ten down.
At the booth a nutritionist and dieti-
tion will be available to assist
students with the computer program
and discuss issues raised.
Students will also be able to enter
a contest for a prize by filling out a
quiz.
The Heart and 'Stroke Foundation
has developed a novel way to learn
about heart health - a roulette wheel.
Test your knowledge by answering
the question that comes up on the
wheel, and if you're right, you could
win a prize! Questions might include,
"how many times per minute does the
Please turn to page 8
An opportunity to obtain informa-
tion about health issues in an informal
and light -heated atmosphere will be
available to Exeter and area
residents on Tuesday, October 21.
A Health Fair organized by the
Huron County Health Unit will beset
up in the small gym near the main
doors at South Huron District High
School from noon unit! 8:00 p.m. to of-
fer children, young people and adults
a chance to visit various displays and
meet health professionals who are
available within this community to
provide assistance and advice.
There will be something for
everyone, ranging from fitness tests
to a roulette wheel that teaches about
heart health.
The Fair is being offered at all five
county secondary schools. Children
from nearby elementary schools will
be bussed in during school hours.
Plan to attend the Health Fair -
"just for the health of it!"
If you've been exercising all sum-
mer and would like to know how you
measure up now, a visit to the Fitness
Testing display will be just what you
need. Certified fitness appraisers will .
be on hand to administer the Cana-
dian Aerobic Fitness Test, take your
skinfold measurment to give you a
percent body fat reading, test your
grip strength, muscular strength and
endurance, and your flexibility. If
you've ever wondered what your an-
thropotnetric .measurements were,
you can get that information there
too.
• Participate in all of the tests or
choose the ones you're most in-
terested in. The fitness experts will in-
terpret your results and record them
in your personal appraisal report, a
record you can take home.
If you'd like to participate in any of
the fitness tests we suggest.you wear
shorts- and a t -shirt - it will make
things easier and more comfortable.
In addition try to avoid drinking caf-
feine or smoking cigarettes for at
least 2 hours before taking the aerobic
fitness test - they could destort your
results.
Hand-out material will be available
on just about any aspect of fitness
you've ever wondered about, as well
as a video from T.V. Ontario on
Fitness Testing.
Health and Welfare's computer
lifestyle analysis, "Close-up on
Health", provides an opportunity for
participants to learn more about their
personal health status. The computer
asks specific questions such as how
often you wear a seatbelt, how many
kilometres you drive annually, how
often you drink alcohol, smoke
cigarettes, participate in regular ex-
ercise, choose foods from the Four
Food Groups, and so on.
It helps you zero in on personal
health "problem" areas, rates your
present health status, and make sug-
gestions. if needed, for lifestyle
changes that could improve your cur-
rent health status.
Be honest! it's a confidential, self-
awareness game that's fun and infor-
mative. Who knows.. maybe you're
doing everything right and if you are,
you'll get top marks. So make sure
you give it a try.
There's a lot to be learned by
visiting the Huron -Perth Lung
Association display. The carbon
monoxide monitor will be available to
test the (X) level in your lungs...
smoker's beware! To test your lung
capacity, a respiratory technologist
will be on hand with a spirometer.
1f you're a smoker and have
wondered what your lungs look like or
even if you're a non-smoker and want
to know what cigarette smoke does to
the lungs. make sure you see the real
lung of a former smoker that will be
on display'
There will also be buttons and a
variety of hand-out materials
available containing information on
topics such as the physical effects of
second-hand smoke, how to quit
smoking, stop smoking program in-
formation, tar accumulation in a
smoker's lungs. emphysema, asthma
and much more.
You may not have met a Public
Health Inspector. but they're always
work ing behirxl the scenes to help pro-
tect your personal health by inspec-
ting restaurants to prevent food
poisoning. controlling rabies,
monitoring hacteria levels at your
favourite beach. and 'making sure
that just about everywhere you go is
clean and sanitary
The display will include demonstra-
tion plates showing hacteria colonies
growing. preserved parasites (i.e.
tape worms), pool testing kits with an
explanation on their use, and the
Ministry of tlealth rabies cassette.
Water testing bottles will also be
available for anyone interested in tak-
ing them home and if you've ever
wondered about what the health in-
spectnrss role is, slides will he avail-
ble to provide a detailed outline.
The Huron -Perth Centre for
Children and Youth will ask students
and adults to complete a question-
naire related to self-esteem - an im-
portant arca of concern for
adolescents struggling to develop
their own sense of identity. Following
the fair the results of the question-
naire. resource materials and a staff
member will be present to answer
specific questions arelevent to self-
esteem and relationships).
We hope this opportunity to obtain
information will encourage par-
ticipants to reflect on their personal
needs and to think about directions for
change
The ('entre will also offer a ques-
tionnaire dealMg with lTntal Health
and provide 'hand -nut materials to
support areas of concern for those
participants who complete (he
qustionnaire
The Huron Perth ('entre for
Children and Youth has become a
leader in the county for providing ef-
fective counselling and guidance to
troubled families and adolescents.
This is an excellent opportunity to
learn more about their services.
If you've ever wondered what it
would be like to be blind or have im-
paired vision,a visit to the `Blind is
Another Kind of Normal" booth will
give you a chance tgfuid out. By try-
ing on specially designed or altered
glasses, you can experience what it's
like to do normal day-to-day things
without being able to see.
Susan Bell, who is visually im-
paired,.will be on hand to teach peo-
ple how to treat/help a blind person
and to discuss measures to take to
prevent blindness. Aids used will also
be on display. The display will help
people apprecidte what it's -like to be
blind and understand that blind peo-
ple are really just like everyone else
in every other way.
The Canadian Cancer Society
display will include a motorized ex-
hibit with pictures of normal, em-
physemic, and cancerous lungs to ef-
fectively illustrate the effects of
smoking. In addition, Smoking Sam,
a life -like smoking machine,
demonstrates how tar and nicotine
collect in the lungs after smoking one
cigarette.
A number of thought-provoking
stickers, buttons, book marks, and
pamphlets will be available to provide
information about smoking and other
very important topics, the society
deals with.
The Health Unit's Family Planner,
Ruth Linton, will be available to pro-
vide information or answer questions "crash".
on any aspect of sexuality from birth The OPP display will also include
control methods to sexually transmit- videos on the use of seatbelts and
ted disease. drinking and driving and will provide
A book display on sex education will handouts on a variety of topics.
be of interest to parents wanting in- A drug case containing samples of
formation on how,to talk to their gild different illicit drugs will also be
aboutsex as well as adolescents look- displayed.
ing for factual, honest answers to Eating right and staying fit are
questions about sexuality. essential for a healthy body. Food and
The display will be complemented fitness also work together to prevent
with fetal models and the birth pro- obesity. The nutrition display will
cess models made available to us focus on the interrelationship between
from the Ontario Science Center.. food and fitness.
An OPP Officer will be on hand with A computer program will be
the impression -leaving seatbelt con- available that will allow students to
vincer - a machine that lets you ex- analyze their food intake for one day.
perience a simulated "crash" wear- It will provide them with feedback as
ing a seatbelt. If you don't wear a to their desirable weight range, ap-
seatbelt regularly now, you'll be con- proximate energy (calorie) re-
vinced of their importance after your quirements, compliance with