JBER offers assistance on weight loss, nutrition

Each body is different, so everyone’s diet will be different too. Some bodies can’t ingest or tolerate some foods, or don’t benefit from them. Working around this can be difficult.

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson has a few on-base resources to help individuals with nutritional needs – like group classes provided by the Health and Wellness Center and individual sessions with the JBER hospital’s Nutritional Medicine Clinic.

Some of the group classes include ‘Better Body Better Life,’ ‘Army Body Composition,’ and a one-session weight loss class that covers nutrition counseling,

cholesterol reduction and weight management.

Group classes talk about a wide subject in a structured manner and anybody can ask a question to bring a relevant point, so every class is different.

“One of the best lessons to be learned from group classes is ‘I’m not in this alone,’” said Lisa Schuette, 673d Aerospace Medical Squadron health promotion coordinator. “There are people going through the same struggle, and they can share how they conquer challenges like getting more water throughout the day … it’s very practical.”

Individual sessions are mostly referred by the individual’s primary care manager or the HAWC, but can be requested by contacting the nutrition clinic directly.

The sessions are more personal and get to the root of a problem to accomplish a goal; whether it’s to lose weight, gain muscle, or work around dietary restrictions and health conditions.

“We can only provide the information and the tools,” said Ashley Wilson, 673d Aerospace Medical Squadron health promotion dietitian. “If it’s hard for someone to make a change, I’m fine talking to them and working with them; seeing what makes that a weakness for them and trying to coach around it as possible. To make a change, they must be willing.”

Some of the struggles people may be going through are undereating, overeating, or just eating unhealthy foods; this behavior can negatively affect quality of life.

A bad diet can create bad habits, for example: late night snacks before going to sleep rob the body of the rest it needs by instead using energy to digest rather than recoup, so the next morning the individual will feel they did not get a quality night’s sleep.

“We can see these effects long term and in retrospect [see] the impact on daily life, but while figuring it out we might not have connected the two; diet and overall health,” Wilson said. “Having a poor diet and not understanding what that is doing to you, is kind of like having a silent ninja that comes into your life and destroys parts of it you would never even know.”

It takes time to correct a bad habit, and even longer to see the results of change to a proper diet and exercise.

Some people are short-sighted and want to see results now, so throughout time there have been examples of bizarre or unorthodox diets tried by many.

“There are no ‘quick fixes,’ unless the problem is an allergy or [sensitivity] like lactose intolerance, but not for weight loss,” Wilson said. “Everyone brings their own variables, their own microflora, there is no ‘Oh, you have this, you can only eat this and be fine;’ it has to be figured out.”

A balanced diet provides the body with necessary nutrients, minerals, phytonutrients and vitamins for optimum health.

Anyone who doesn’t know where to begin losing weight or eating healthier, or who wants to learn more about general nutrition should call the HAWC at 551-2361.

Individuals who need a new diet based on a medical condition should contact a primary care manager or the Nutritional Medicine Clinic at 580-4310.