Irvine High School - Citadel Yearbook (Irvine, CA)

Page 31 text:

Health 29

Page 30 text:

1. The variety of vitamins increased with the price. 2. Larry Gillam keeps fit by playing ten- nis. 3. Bill Rodgers, like many other Americans runs to help stay healthy. Health dominates over junk food and tooth decay By Rob Small It you were at a party five years ago, and someone asked you, Par- don me, but are you into granola? you might reply, Forgive me for being rude, but would you get out of my life? While joggers and health food addicts were just coming out of the closet five years ago the next five years saw the hea th concern grow in huge proportions. In the late 1970 ' s the entire health scene boomed into one of the largest money making industries in the nation. Not only did the variety of pills and vitamins increase, but so did the price, just a bottle of multiple vitamins ranged from $1.28 to $17. Finding the vitamins you wanted was even more difficult than swal- lowing the price. First you needed to decide on the vitamin you wanted, although this part was easy, just pick a letter out of the alphabet. Then you had to decide on the complex, and if you wanted organic or inorganic vita- mins. There was even one vitamin that claimed to get you high. It was called ZOOM, mother nature ' s own upper, and it retailed for $15 a bottle. One way people found to avoid the high cost of vitamins and still stay healthy was running. Running, which was a pastime for a small minority of people, turned into a nationwide fad. In fact, physical fitness became big- ger than ever. If everybody wasn ' t running, they were playing tennis or skiing or going to exercise class. More men and women are begin- ning to care about their bodies, said lerady Blain, proprietress of a South- ern California health spa. This bene- fits everyone, the people, the shoe companies, the tennis racquet com- panies, and most of all, the health spas. According to Blairle, the health spa business tripled since 1977. But it takes more than vitamins and physical fitness to remain healthy. It ' s just like your mother told you, you have to eat the right foods. However, deciding what foods were the right ones to eat created another wave of controversy, Health food does not keep you healthy, it only keeps you from eating the wrong, or harmful things, said Dr. Solly Cervitz in a Woman ' s Day interview, The claim that it cures ail- ments is totally erroneous. But many people will swear to the fact that health food has helped pre- vent sickness all their lives. Perhaps the most controversial health subject was the Wellness Movement, a preventative sickness program. Doctors involved in the program teach self-examination, pre- scribe medicines for preventive uses, and try to dissemble the fear and mystery of examinations. The doctors explain what they are trying to do and explain the patient ' s options in terms they cari understand. Some doctors feel that the Well- ness Movement is quackery and accuse the program ' s doctors of try- ing to protect their money. Health food, physical fitness and vitamins became enormously popu- lar. Even schools got into the health act by eliminating or at least cutting back on junk food sold in the student stores and cafeterias. However junk food manufactures were not to be swayed. They just resorted to making natural junk foods, according to Cervitz. ?8 Health

Page 32 text:

30 Special feature