Health Promotion Center motivates service members to eat healthy

Camp Pendleton service members are now using the recently opened Health Promotion Center at Camp Del Mar as a resource to balance their lifestyle.

Located inside the 21-Area Single Marine Program Recreation Center, the Health Promotion Center can conduct a variety of tests to help guide service members to make healthier decisions.

“Just because a Marine presents a slim appearance doesn’t mean that he is eating healthy,” said Michelle R. Gifford, health promotion educator, Semper Fit Division, Marine Corps Community Services.

In addition to conducting health assessments for individual service members, the promotion center offers programs for units of any size. The programs include physical fitness, tobacco cessation, sexually transmitted disease prevention, stress management, and injury prevention.

“Our mission is really important because if you don’t have Marines who are combat ready, they aren’t reaching their optimal performance,” said Gifford. “Whether it is work or in their personal lives, we are here to help them reach their potential.”

One popular service offered at the health promotion center is the resting metabolic rate test, which measures the amount of calories you burn while you are inactive, said Gifford. Using this test helps the health specialists better evaluate how someone’s diet should be adjusted.

“With the wide array of tests that the health promotion center offers, we are fully capable of helping service members meet any health related goals,” said Gifford.

We hope that service members will take the knowledge that they learn from our resources and pass it on to their family, said Gifford. It’s important that troops make healthy choices, because they are setting the example for their loved ones.

The 21-Area Health Promotion Center is one of three on base. The other locations are at 11-Area’s Paige Fieldhouse and the 53 Area Fitness Center, and are open to active-duty military, retirees, and Department of Defense civilian employees.

For more information about the 21 Area Health Promotion Center, call (760) 763-8731.

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