CLASS GETS TO ROOT OF FOOD CHOICES.

Byline: ALEX DOBUZINSKIS Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- From the stay-at-home mom who feels bad about her body to the college student eating junk -- dietician Sheri Barke wanted to reach all types when she designed a class for College of the Canyons.

And students of all shapes and sizes have taken the class since she started offering it a year ago.

The class offers a unique perspective on food, since Barke, the only full-time registered dietician working at a California community college, doesn't believe in weight-loss diets.

``Whenever food has been off-limits, it makes (people) want it more,'' Barke said, adding that the person concerned with weight to ``listen to your body. Your body has wisdom.

``You eat when you're hungry. Your body's going to get to and maintain your weight, whatever it should be for your body type.''

Jessica Pease, 24, signed up for the class to deal with anorexia nervosa. It's already helped her.

``I've tried to eat three meals a day, but I'm only at about two,'' Pease said. ``I used to just eat one meal a day and wait all day to eat. So now I'm kind of spreading it out and trying to regain hunger.''

Barke, 32, estimated that about a third of students in her ``Nutrition for Fitness and Balanced Living'' class have some sort of disordered eating, from a slightly unhealthy attitude toward food right up to clinical anorexia.

One student too obsessed with weighing himself handed Barke his weight scale one day to get rid of it. It went on a stack of scales in Barke's office -- also donated by people with whom Barke has worked.

Barke's class covers eating a balanced diet with enough vitamins and minerals. It also touches on how anti-oxidants work, what dietary supplements to take, how to read food labels and other topics.

Barke, who is 17 weeks pregnant, has also tried to allay the concerns of female students worried about putting on weight during pregnancy.

alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com

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