Dr. Lynnea Melham, Associate Teaching Professor of Nutrition and Health Science, has been working with ROTC cadets enrolled in Ball State University to work to improve their overall health and well-being for their time in service. Dr. Melham has a BS in clinical and community dietetics, a MHS in health science education, and a doctorate degree in adult education with a cognate in wellness. Her career background involves several years of clinical dietetics serving on nutrition support teams for critically/terminally ill patients, as well as providing in-patient nutritional assessments and patient education. ROTC cadets enrolled in Ball State University have many resources to turn to on campus that will help them succeed. Dr. Lynnea Melham has the Nutrition Intervention, an effort that will help cadets select more balanced meal plans and to help them achieve weight requirements.

“Our ROTC cadets can benefit from nutrition counseling by simply eating a more balanced, healthier diet that includes fruit, vegetables, lean proteins, grains, low-fat dairy, and selecting whole foods overall,” Melham said. “In some cases, weight-loss is the goal, in others, weight gain. There is a weight range in which all cadets must meet to advance within the program.”

Overall health and well-being are something everyone should keep in mind when going about their daily routine. For cadets, their health and well-being are essential in ensuring they can serve our country to the best of their ability.

“Overall health and well-being to our ROTC cadets is foundational toward their success in achieving personal goals,” Melham said. “Just like everyone else, when people are experienced optimal health and well-being, they feel better, perform better, think better and thrive. Further, when our cadets, soldiers, and officers are optimally healthy, our country benefits as well.”

Nutrition education is something everyone can benefit from, no matter where you are in your journey of life. To live to our fullest potential, we must prioritize our lifestyle and evaluate what we can do to ensure we have enough energy and strength to achieve anything we aspire to. That begins with learning about the choices we can make and what we can do make a healthy change. “Teaching individuals about best choices when thinking about nutrition that are evidence-based practices supported by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics benefits not only that individual, but also everyone they share the information with,” Melham said. “This opportunity has the potential of impacting and improving overall health and well-being of large communities.”

ROTC cadets contribute not only to Ball State University, but to our country as well. It is important cadets are taking care of themselves in the healthiest way possible so they can put their best foot forward in everything they do. We are thankful to have faculty like Dr. Melham who put in the time and energy in establishing a relationship with our ROTC cadets and making sure they are living a healthy lifestyle not only for their time in service, but for themselves.