Numerous information booths on health awareness lined the outside of Zimmerman Library Wednesday to celebrate National Health Education Day.
Event coordinator Amy Farrar said she chose the three main health issues to feature smoking, sleep deprivation and eating disorders/body image.
Freshman Mya Oliver said she thinks these three topics are issues that most college students are concerned with nowadays.
"Honestly, I can relate to having sleep deprivation," Oliver said. "I do always hit the snooze button in the morning and it's hard for me to get out of bed and even in class it's hard to stay awake or concentrate."
The Peer Health Education program sponsored the health awareness event. It is the fifth of the six events to be sponsored by the program this semester.
Peer health educators and consultants in the program are part of a field research class offered through the Health Education and Prevention Program.
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"Our goal is to increase the awareness of risk factors and the prevention of long term consequences of some choices college students make today," said Farrar, who is also a educator with the program.
Other organizations attending the event included the Agora Crisis Center, UNM Hospital's Sleep Disorder Clinic and Overeaters Anonymous.
In addition, a booth with information on body image that included a cardboard cutout of Barbie and her measurements compared to that of an average woman.
"People don't usually address eating disorders because it's so accepted and joked about, but it's not a joking issue," Farrar said.
The New Mexico Clinical Research and Osteoporosis Center, Inc. also handed out information on leading a young healthy lifestyle in order to avoid diseases like osteoporosis.
"Osteoporosis is a disease that most often presents itself at an older age," said Shelly Rael, a UNM Employee Health Promotion Program dietitian.
Rael said that by the time a person reaches the age of 20 about 98 percent of their bone mass is already acquired. However, people in their 20s are still able to build upon that, Rael added.
Recreational Services also had information available about exercising and staying fit. The Student Health Center was conducting surveys and giving away prizes.
One booth was dedicated to smoking prevention and supplied with Commit to Quit kits and information on the risks of long-term smoking and second-hand smoke.
"Don't think you have time later to take care of these matters," Rael said. "What you do now you are more than likely pay for even if it does seem so far off."
