Navy Environmental Preventive Medicine Unit (NEPMU) 5 is participating in nine health fairs at Lincoln Military Housing centers in the San Diego area, Sept. 13-27, as part of the unit's robust health promotion program.

The health fairs provide families with a convenient means to learn about topics pertinent to their mental and physical health.

"Our goal is to provide a fun environment for people to learn accurate and relevant health information that they can then apply to their lives resulting in positive sustainable change," said Dr. Regina Pointer, NEPMU 5 public health educator.

With 20 years of experience in health promotion, Pointer currently leads the NEPMU 5 health promotion programs which are aimed at not only Sailors and Marines, but their families as well.

"While our primary customer is the warfighter, it is critical that we care for the entire person, which includes their families, if we are to maintain the highest level of operational readiness," said Cmdr. Shelton Lyons, officer in charge NEPMU 5. "We have one of the best health promotion programs in the region and we work hard year-round to ensure our Sailors and Marines are empowered to make positive health decisions."

Each hospital corpsman from the unit who participates in the health fairs is required to complete the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center's Health Promotion Course, and receives in-depth training in each topic provided. NEPMU 5 provides customizable displays and information on the following topics: tobacco cessation, suicide awareness, stress, obesity and nutrition, diabetes, women's health, men's health, exercise, dental health, and alcohol use.

"My favorite part of health fairs is engaging and educating people on proper nutrition," said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Diana Camacho, NEPMU 5. "We have a lot of Sailors and family members who have heard myths about weight loss and supplements, so these events provide us an opportunity to talk face-to-face with community members and give them the tools to successfully meet their nutrition goals."

Information on meal preparation, proper food proportions and the differences between fat and muscle composition are heavily emphasized by NEPMU 5 staff.

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Seth Johnson participated in his first NEPMU 5 health fair at Admiral Hartman Park. "It was a great experience seeing these communities come together and have fun while they learn," said Johnson. "It is easy to see that these fairs are not only informative, but they also boost the morale of our military families as well."

NEPMU 5 focuses on helping empower whole families as a way to positively affect health outcomes at the community level.

"One of the most important things I tell parents is that children will always be influenced by their parent's actions more than their words," said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Brian Richardson. "So if they want to see their children make positive health choices they need to not only inform themselves but apply that information to their own lives."

Housing communities are not the only organizations that can request for NEPMU 5 to provide customizable public health services.

"Often times after a health fair we will get a request for a health fair from a ship saying that a family member or Sailor attended a health fair and now they want to share that information with their entire crew," said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Marshall Benoit, NEPMU 5. "The health fairs have a huge indirect positive impact on our Navy's health because the information we provide spreads passively through Sailors and their families."

Lincoln Military Housing is an important collaborator with NEPMU 5 as they are the major housing contractor in the region. The ongoing partnership has enabled NEPMU 5 to reach out to more communities on a consistent basis.

"We want people to leave our health fairs knowing that a healthy lifestyle is possible and that small changes can have big impacts on a person's overall health," Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Brennan Gonzales, NEPMU 5.

NEPMU 5 has demonstrated sustained commitment to providing mobile health fairs for the past three years and plans to continue with their efforts in the future.

"NEPMU 5 is in the business of force health protection and health fairs are one avenue we use to promote health and wellness activities to avoid preventable morbidity and mortality throughout the Navy," said Master Chief Hospital Corpsman Leonardo Carbonel, senior enlisted leader, NEPMU 5. "Our health fairs directly supports the CNO's 'Pillars of Wellness' in which an optimum level of health of Sailors equals to a ready and resilient naval force and improved the overall quality of life of Sailors."

For more news from Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit 5, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/nepmu5 or follow NEPMU FIVE on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nepmu5.

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