Spotlight on student health
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- Published on Wednesday, 09 May 2012 16:56
- Written by Olivia Wainwright
The Humanities Student Council hosted its first Student Wellness Fair hoping to help students realise the importance of both physical and mental health
On Wednesday, April 25th the Humanities Student Council (HSC) hosted its first Student Wellness Fair in Leslie Social. The event was held during meridian with stalls set up by different health organisations including the Sports Science Institute, CANSA and the Division of Human Nutrition.
The purpose of the fair was to draw attention to the importance of health, both physical and mental. Dashalia Maluza, the Health and Safety Co-ordinator of the HSC, said: “The event was designed around the concept of helping to create and maintain a health-conscious student body.”
The Sport Science Institute offered students deals on their membership, as well as testing students’ hand-grip strength and explaining how they could improve this. Jolene Kleinschmidt from the Sports Science Institute explained that the event was important as “students are still young enough to make a change.”
The Division of Human Nutrition aimed to help students assess their current diets and give them tips on where these diets could be adjusted. They also offered to calculate students’ Body Mass Index and, from that, suggest a healthy living plan. Carla Poole from the Division of Human Nutrition commented, “Students have a notoriously bad diet. If you’re overweight now and don’t change, you’ll probably remain overweight; therefore, we’re suggesting lifestyle changes.”
The event also housed Zone Fitness and the South African Anxiety and Depression Group (SAADG). The SAADG offered individuals advice as well as a host of informative pamphlets for those who were keen to find out more.
CANSA had a wide array of leaflets giving advice to students on how to avoid cancer, but also how to deal with being diagnosed or suspecting they have cancer.
UCT student Ruvarashe Beta said, “I think this event is important, I was happy to see not only students coming along, but workers too.”
Chiedza Museredza, Chairperson of the HSC, explained that “the aim of the event is to cater to the emotional and physical needs of students as we draw near to exams.”
Maluzo said that the event was a success and that it is something the HSC hope to do again in the future, hopefully making it an annual event. “How we take care or do not take care of ourselves today will affect us tomorrow. It should not be for later, but now, while we are still young and active enough to take control of what we eat and how we manage stress and anxiety,” she said.