Hot Topics: Career Inspiration

By Kara Pifer

Have you ever found a story in the news that just inspires you? Whether it be an individual or the situation featured in the news story, sometimes there are just things in life that surprise and inspire me. Today, it was reading about a woman named Linda Fondren. This woman owns a gym in Vicksburg, Mississippi and due to events in her life involving the effects of obesity, she began a movement called “Shape Up Vicksburg.” This movement aims to make a dent in the obese population in the city. This program is a 17 week weight loss challenge that has apparently has also turned into a walking club. The program has “recruited the town mayor, the police chief, the school cafeteria workers, teachers and restaurant owners” along with about four hundred others in Vicksburg.

Many cities all over the United States have been becoming larger over the past decade, and not just in population. These cities are all over the country, which shows that it is not only geography or weather conditions that lead to obesity. Although there are many places that are ranked as having more obese individuals, Mississippi seems to have the majority of these places, as it has been ranked as the most obese state in the country for the past six years. According to an article on MSNBC.com the city of Vicksburg alone is contributing to this epidemic, with two-thirds of the 26,000 citizens being at least overweight. This is extremely alarming, especially for those living in the state and I feel as though this should motivate the citizens within Mississippi to get up and make a few changes.

Looking through different news websites, I came across multiple stories of individuals that Linda Fondren has influenced to lead a healthier life. One of these stories was very touching, and I believe that in today’s world, many people have been in similar situations. A woman, Ebony Fisher, went into the doctor for her annual check-up. She got on the scale and although she knew she had gained a bit of weight, she assumed that the scale would read 200 pounds. This is already an unhealthy weight, unless of course she is abnormally tall, but she could not believe what the scale read. It had to be a mistake right? She was in absolute shock as the number bounced around in her head the rest of the afternoon. 324 pounds, 324 pounds, 324 pounds. She could not believe it. She knew that she had to do something. She went to see Linda and told her she needed to change her life, and she is well on her way. Currently, she has lost 50 pounds, has become vegetarian and is working on a regular exercise regimen. She also plans to keep on losing until she has lost 150 pounds total! It seems that Fondren really has been making her dent in the obesity epidemic, not only with Fisher, but with other Vicksburg residents involved in her program already losing 15,000 pounds.

Due to the overwhelming amount of individuals and families in the United States who are in the overweight range, weight counseling has become more popular than ever in the world of nutrition. This, as well as other factors, has contributed to Dietitians and Nutritionists becoming one of the ten fastest growing allied health careers. A large percentage of the population in our country has become extremely interested in different topics involving nutrition. It is well known that much of disease prevention is now focused on diet and exercise, which also has increased the demand for nutritional professionals in almost every community it seems. Although weight management and disease prevention are only tipping the scale into the wide world of nutrition, this high demand really seems to show that there are so many opportunities at this time for those of us practicing or studying dietetics. There are hundreds of career paths already paved for those studying nutrition to follow, or even more interesting, we can pave our own path. There are so many opportunities, starting with anything as common as clinical, food service, writing, corporate, education, weight management, and going as far as you can push your limits. Even though it seems that Linda Fondren of Vicksburg, Mississippi is not technically a dietitian, she has the drive of one. She took the nutritional world that she was passionate about, made a plan, and followed it while taking citizens of her city on the ride along with her. She has helped so many individuals and families in her community learn to live a healthier lifestyle and is that not what our profession is about? How do you feel about this? Do stories such as these motivate you to move further toward you career goals? I hope everyone continues to find inspiration in the stories you find, the articles you read and the contacts you make. This profession can seem difficult and daunting at times, but because there are so many options in this career, including the option to make your own line of work, I feel like everyone who puts their best effort forward can succeed. Everyone can find a little bit of inspiration, and when you do, run with it.

For the story on Linda Fondren: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41276755/ns/us_news-life/

For career information: http://www.healthdegrees.com/spotlight-the-top-ten-fastest-growing-allied-health-careers