Students promote healthy living

For college students, healthy living is often a difficult task. But three IU students plan to challenge that perception by starting a new organization to promote wellness and to provide information about health care and preventable diseases.\nJunior biochemistry majors Matt Robinson and Laura Heath and biology major Dina Bastawros said they decided healthy living needs to start at a younger age. So they started a new group called Student Advocates for Public Health Awareness. The organization's call-out meeting is at 8 p.m. Thursday in the Chemistry Building 033.\n"It's intended to promote good health and educate people about diseases and healthy living," Heath said.\nRobinson said he was inspired to start the organization after his father died of diabetes about seven years ago. The experience of losing his father to a preventable disease motivated him to raise health awareness to the public, he said.\n"SAPHA is a product of my own experiences, uninsurable issues and how health care has affected the world," Robinson said.\n"We really just want to raise awareness about preventable diseases that are starting to stem up" Bastawros said.\nThe organization is looking for people who are interested in brainstorming new ideas with members from across the intellectual spectrum, the organizers said.\n"We want a whole array of people because these issues will be facing us in the future," Bastawros said.\n"I want SAPHA to be a forum where we can discuss ideas about comprehensive health care programs that will work for all Americans," Robinson said. "No one should be denied health care."\nFor more information, students can check out the "Student Advocates for Public Health Awareness" group on Facebook or e-mail Robinson at mwr@indiana.edu.