WOODBURY UNIVERSITY : Freshmen Urged to Modify Diets

A nutrition expert advised Woodbury University freshmen this week to modify their diets and lifestyles to avoid what he called the greatest health problems in the United States--obesity and iron and calcium deficiencies.

Paul Saltman, principal author of “The California Nutrition Book” and a biology professor at UC San Diego, spoke Wednesday during freshman orientation at the Burbank campus.

Saltman said people should be aware that certain genetic, age, gender and lifestyle factors determine what and how much they should eat.

“Genetically, there are some people that are destined to be obese,” he said. “A person who is predisposed to this must eat less and exercise.”

The lack of iron and calcium in the diet is a problem often linked to gender, Saltman said. It often affects women and can be reduced by changes in lifestyle.

In the case of iron deficiency, which may make it difficult for women to “run the maze of the rat race that is society,” Saltman said the solution is simple: “You’ve got to eat meat.”

Calcium deficiency can lead to bone loss, or osteoporosis. However, the risk of this disease can be reduced by exercise and a change of attitude about drinking milk, Saltman said.

“Women are saying, ‘Milk is beneath my dignity. I’ll do Diet Coke,’ ” he said.

Failure to maintain a balanced diet, even for the sake of looking better, may be more noticeable than people think, Saltman said.

“Some of you women in here I can look at and tell you are anorexic,” he said.