A picture of produce including squash, cucumbers and artichokes at the Safeway Market grocery store

In the You Are What You Buy Food Tour, students will learn how to make healthy shopping choices and read food labels.

By Amanda Holst, Public Affairs Assistant

Jennifer Waldrop made a discovery about the way SJSU students shop for food.

“We were finding that students were confused about food labels, confused about how to put together a meal and how to make healthy decisions when they went into a grocery store,” said Waldrop, campus nutritionist.

“You Are What You Buy” is just one of the events that will be featured at the 4th Annual Respect Your Body Week, May 2 – 5. The week is a collaboration between the Nutrition Education Action Team (NEAT), Peer Health Education (PHE) and Women on Women’s Issues (WOWI). The week, which grew out of Eating Disorders Week, will focus on positive behaviors that will encourage students to eat healthier, protect their skin and improve their body image.

“The spirit of the event is about empowerment and students cultivating respect to take care of their health,” said Waldrop.

To promote skin cancer prevention awareness, Melanoma Monday will take place at 10 a.m. May 2. The event, sponsored by PHE, will be held in the Student Health Center (south side).

“Photo Voice,” a highlight of the week, will take place at 5 p.m. May 2 in the Dining Commons. Photos showing students’ perspectives of healthy body images will be on display.

“Do You Diet?” is a new event added this year. It focuses on the affects of diets on both men and women. This event will be held at 10 a.m. May 3 in the Student Health Center (south side).

WOWI will sponsor a “Venus Paper Doll Party” that celebrates body size by dressing a paper doll of Venus of Willendorf at 5 p.m. May 4 in the MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center (located inside the Student Union).

“You Are What You Buy Food Tour,” designed to highlight key strategies for reading food labels and making healthier choices at the grocery store, will take place May 4 at Safeway Market (100 South 2nd Street).

For more information and a full schedule of events, please email Jennifer Waldrop.