Experts to offer health advice at fitness center

Gainesville Health and Fitness Center for Women will continue celebrating National Women's Health Week today by organizing a panel of health experts who will be available to answer questions from the public.

People are encouraged to bring their health questions to the panel today from 9 a.m. to noon at GHFC for Women in Thornebrook Village, said Ann Raulerson, manager of GHFC for Women.

A pharmacist and registered dietitian will be at the event to field all questions. The Diabetes Center of North Florida Regional Medical Center will be offering glucose screenings and the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society will be offering health screening recommendations.

"We wanted to raise awareness for women as far as what type of tests they might need to get and also promote a healthy lifestyle," said Raulerson.

The past eight years, the Women's Advantage Program has hosted the Shands Women's Advantage Health Fair. However, this year, the health fair was held Thursday morning in conjunction with a week of activities offered by GHFC for Women.

Marsha Mott, Shands HealthCare program coordinator, said that about 120 women and even a few men came out to the Women's Advantage Health Fair for health screenings, free massages, healthy refreshments and other valuable information.

"I think it's a wonderful idea," said Clara Nelson, a Gainesville resident and member of GHFC for Women.

Nelson would normally have to pay for each test when she visited her doctor, but at Thursday's fair, she checked her cholesterol, bone density and blood pressure for free.

Licensed nutritionists and dietitians were available to offer women advice on how to control their blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure levels. "They told me to cut down on my salt for my blood pressure," Nelson said.

To be tested, people could choose to pay a $5 fee or join the Women's Advantage Program, a free program created by Shands HealthCare, which offers seminars and speakers on women's health and lifestyle, as well as discounts.