SoPH student Wins the Dietitians' Association of Australia Underwood Award
Win is food for thought
AWARD-winning Curtin University dietetics graduate Suzanne White wants people to make healthy eating a priority. Mrs White, from Canning Vale, was the WA winner of the Dietitians' Association of Australia Underwood Award after achieving high standards in her dietetics course at the School of Public Health, Curtin University.
Top dietetics graduate Suzanne White with her sons Daniel (left), Joshua and Andrew, and
husband Steve.
She was inspired by concerns for her own family's health."I have three teenage sons, and I was initially drawn to studying diet because of my interest in keeping my family healthy," Mrs White said. "My interest in dietetics just grew once I started the course." A study placement in a local hospital was a revelation to Mrs White, where she was exposed to the worst effects that a bad diet could have on people.
"I worked as a clinical dietitian, and saw a lot of people with Type 2 Diabetes, who had undergone amputations and were on dialysis," she said. "Seeing people with these complications really stood out to me - even when people were being treated for these problems, they often didn't want to change their habits." Mrs White said the fast-food culture was producing frightening trends among young people."Teenagers often congregate around fast food restaurants and takeaway places," she said. "It's important for people to focus on their futures - things like Type 2 Diabetes can really creep up on you."