In a recent UC Davis analysis, Mary Ann Montague discovered that she is good at maintaining a budget--a nutrition budget. "Good nutrition is like a bank account which allows the occasional indulgence with glee rather than with guilt," says Montague, a participant in the campus "You are what you eat" dietary analysis program. Since fall 1998, more than 140 employees like entomology research associate Montague have used the program sponsored by the Campus Health Awareness Program at no cost. Participants keep a food diary, recording how their food was prepared and the serving size. At the end of three days, they submit the diary along with information regarding their height, weight, gender, activity level, and age to be analyzed by Celeste Alvarado. The intern for the Health Awareness Program uses a software program employed by dietitians to calculate participants' average nutrient and calorie intake. Alvarado, an undergraduate student, says that getting a dietary analysis isn't "just for people for losing weight. It's for people who are curious if they are getting what they need." Knowing the consequences Montague considers herself in the latter category. She says she wanted to double-check her assumption that her diet was balanced because she is "old enough to know the consequences" of poor dietary habits. For example, Montague is now experiencing bone loss that may have been preventable when she was younger if she had consumed more foods with calcium. Since Montague is nearing the age of 60, she is concerned about staying fit as she ages. "I'm not trying to fight it, because aging takes a toll and there is nothing you can do about it," she says. Nonetheless, she tries to maintain a healthy body. To keep up her strength, she does moderate exercise like walking, gardening and qi-gong, the Chinese martial art practice of energy cultivation. Montague's interest on the effect of diet on aging fits into the range of nutrition interests that Alvarado encounters. Employees in the program have various types of health concerns and fitness levels, from the need to maintain strength in older employees to the desire of students to regulate their diets. The nutrition program developed after Alvarado, a former student leader for the Health Awareness Stretch and Stroll Program, found participants in the lunchtime exercise program had lots of questions. She says the program gives people an opportunity to talk about nutrition. Even though people wanted to talk in general about nutrition, Alvarado has found that some are reluctant to share information about their eating habits. Her strategy is to make the participant feel comfortable because, she says, it isn't her role to criticize. Guaranteed confidentiality Participants are guaranteed confidentiality. Their files are maintained for six months after the original analysis, allowing people to follow up on their progress and see if they need to make further changes in their diet. Alvarado says that to make significant change in nutrition, it is important to recognize patterns of eating. After participating in the program, Montague recommends it. She says, "It made me be honest." The Health Awareness Program will present more information about its nutritional analysis service during a talk "You Are What You Eat: Food Diary and Computer Analysis" at noon Wednesday, March 1, in the Memorial Union's East Conference Room. The presentation is part of the Must-See Noon Series on Healthy Eating in the New Millennium.