What’s Really Healthy?

In this day of engorged media, how can anyone truthfully know anything about health and fitness? A few days ago I was talking with my fiancé about canned tuna, and whether albacore was better for you than light tuna. Admittedly, I eat a lot of canned tuna, and I know that tuna, not from a can, is better for you than canned tuna. But, regardless, follow me on this example discussion of canned tuna.

All the information we have derived on canned tuna has been from online articles highlighting research on canned tuna. My fiancé said that the albacore was better for you. However, my boss and I had the exact same discussion twice in the past two years. We read the same that albacore was better for you — only to find out in another article printed a few months later that light tuna was actually better.

The media frenzy surrounding health and fitness studies makes it almost impossible for the individual to know what is, and what really isn’t, good for us. This is where we need the clubs to step up. Is it enough to have health conscious posters throughout the club? If a club actually used posters throughout the club to highlight healthy foods/meals, that might be good. However, I’ve never seen a club take this initiative, even though it seems fairly basic — and yet, might not be engaging enough.

How could you engage members directly and provide nutrition information? What about small handout cards that provide members with half off a smoothie on one side, and a healthy recipe on the other? When the member redeems the card, simply punch a hole in it and give them the recipe back.

Media isn’t going to slow down, and neither is health research on the collegiate level. Now it is on the club to truly harness positive information for members and provide people with what to eat, and what not to eat. If you haven’t already, start helping your members eat healthier today.

Tyler Montgomery is the Editor of Club Solutions Magazine. Contact him at tyler@clubsolutionsmagazine.com