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March is National Nutrition Month by Kami Payne Dietetic intern National Nutrition Month, sponsored each year by the American Dietetic Association, couldn’t have been timed better for MUSC as its Wellness Campaign begins efforts to promote employee health.  By designating March as National Nutrition Month, the American Dietetic Association draws attention to the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. The theme for 2001, “Food and Fitness: Building a Healthy Lifestyle,” focuses on the dietary guidelines for Americans, and begins with the basics of the ABC's for you and your family's health: Aim for fitness; Build a health base; and Choose sensibly. During the first three weeks in March, these ABC's will be the focus of the promotional efforts throughout the MUSC campus. The topic of the fourth week in March will be child nutrition. The MUSC dietetic interns will be raising awareness about the pertinent roles of nutrition by providing information pertaining to the weekly topic and hosting campus activities. Look for nutrition tips on broadcast e-mails; “Did You Know?” flyers; the cafeteria hotline; and in The Catalyst. In addition, test your nutrition knowledge each week by checking out the Q and A's on the table tents placed in the cafeteria. Because this is the first week of NNM, the highlighted topic will be “Aiming for fitness.” Simply put, this means striving to achieve or maintain a healthy weight, and trying to be physically active every day. So what exactly is a healthy weight? It is a range of weight that puts you at a lower risk for certain illnesses and diseases. Many of us know that making moderate physical activity a part of our daily routine is an essential component of achieving health and wellness, but do we know what classifies moderate physical activity? It is any activity that requires about as much anergy as walking two miles in 30 minutes. Part of Aiming for Fitness includes engaging in 30 minutes or more of this kind of activity five to seven times per week. Listed throughout the campus will be nutrition and fitness information geared to inspire you to “Aim for Fitness” and to strive to build a healthy lifestyle. Watch for upcoming National Nutrition Month events and promotional efforts. As always for further nutritional information, consult a registered dietitian and for complete fitness advice, consult a certified exercise specialist.