Jackson Heights health fair boon to community

As Julian Williams, a board member for the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights, had his fitness assessed by a small hand-scanning machine, a small crowd gathered around him.
If Williams, 67, scored less than 50,000 on the machine's rating system, then his fitness would be below average and he would need to take vitamins, exercise and eat healthfully to improve his score, said Dr. Steven Wong, who had set up the machine at the health fair in the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights.
Williams' friend Steve Knobel, president of the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights, even bet that he would score higher on the test - and he did. Williams came in with a 26,000, and Knobel scored a 35,000 - still considered low. Both needed vitamins and exercise, Wong said.
After the fitness assessment, Williams and Knobel had the opportunity to have several other home and health tests at the fair, sponsored by Councilwoman Helen Sears. Featuring HANAC, the Office of Emergency Management, two low-cost health care companies - MetroPlus and Health Plus - and even Solar One, a non-profit dedicated to energy conservation, the event allowed Jackson Heights residents to talk to experts about keeping themselves and their homes in tip-top shape this summer.
HANAC, a Queens community organization that first started serving the borough's Greek population and now deals with issues related to seniors, crime prevention and substance abuse, brought together all of the organizations under one roof for the first time last week. Monique Aliberti from HANAC said that, depending on the community response, her group would like to host additional health fairs in northwest Queens.
At last week's fair, the Office of Emergency Management talked to visitors about what to do in the event of a hurricane or other natural disaster. Solar One enticed listeners to consider wind power instead of electricity and sold energy-efficient light bulbs for half the normal cost in stores, and Herbalife International tested participants' body fat percentage.
Representatives from LaGuardia Community College also recruited participants to take part in a study of asthma triggers in the homes of 300 Queens families. The College's team - comprised of 35 faculty members, student nurses, and community members - plan to visit the homes over a three-year period, explaining to residents about asthma triggers, hypoallergenic pillow covers, and animal dander.
&#8220Here in this part of Queens, we are finding that asthma is a big problem,” Aliberti said.
Jackson Heights resident Philip Gomez, 80, said that his daughter, Bromta, 50, has suffered from asthma all of her life. Bromta also has serious allergies, which set off her asthma, he said while signing up for the study at LaGuardia. Gomez also worries about his four grandchildren who live with him but have not shown any signs of asthma yet.
For more information about the study, call 718-482-5642 or visit www.lagcc.cuny.edu/AsthmaProject to sign up for the study.