Pirates tackling heart disease during February
East Carolina University’s Division of Student Affairs will hold a number of events in February to raise awareness about heart health and heart disease during national Heart Health Month.
ECU Campus Recreation and Wellness will kick off the events with a Heart Health Extravaganza from 4 until 6 p.m. Feb. 2 at the Student Recreation Center. Attendees will have an opportunity to visit healthy stations to learn about stress, heart health, blood pressure and more. All student participants will be entered to win a FitBit wristband activity tracking device.
On Feb. 4 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Campus Wellness staff and students will distribute heart health information across campus. Campus Recreation and Wellness will join Campus Dining staff Feb. 9 and Feb. 12 to teach students about healthy food choices and portion sizes in West End and Todd dining halls.
On Feb. 6, all members of the ECU community will be urged to wear red for National Wear Red Day, as a sign of support for fighting heart disease. All those dressed in red will be asked to gather for a group photo at 12:15 p.m. at the Student Recreation Center.
Shane Stephens
“When people wear the red, it’s a reminder that heart disease is a real disease,” said Shane Stephens, assistant director of wellness programs in Campus Recreation and Wellness. “The red will remind us to make the choices we need to make to fight this disease and live longer happier lives.
“Students don’t typically perceive heart disease as being dangerous because they think they are too young,” said Stephens, but the American Heart Association reports that one out of every three women die from heart disease or stroke. It’s still the number one killer in the country.
“We are creating awareness and helping our young women learn that today’s decisions about smoking, food choices and exercise can have positive or negative impacts later in life,” Stephens said.
For additional information about Heart Health Month visit the American Heart Association website (www.heart.org). For more on ECU events and programs, contact Shane Stephens, assistant director of wellness programs, at Stephenssh@ecu.edu or 252-737-4892.