A Rewarding Way to Learn About Health

Children can learn about health and physical fitness, and at the same time try to win a trip to the 1996 Summer Olympics. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Assn. is sponsoring an Olympic wellness education kit and contest for third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students.

Olympic wellness posters were mailed nationwide on Monday to school principals along with Time for Kids magazine. Students will be asked to write a 50-word essay on “How America’s Olympians Inspire Me to Excel at Wellness.” The postmark deadline is April 8. Each of the five regional winners will receive a trip for four to the Games in Atlanta. For written contest details, call (312) 329-7597.

Events

Join the Celiac Disease Foundation this Sunday to learn about gluten-free breads, pizza and desserts. Free. Orthopaedic Hospital, Andrew Norman Hall, 2400 S. Flower St., Los Angeles. Call (818) 990-2354 for more information . . . A free lecture, “Nutrition and Cancer,” will be held on Feb. 6 at UCLA. $5 parking. 7-9 p.m. Rhonda Fleming Mann Resource Center, 200 UCLA Medical Plaza, Los Angeles. Call (310) 794-6644 for more information . . . The City of Hope National Medical Center along with the American Cancer Society will co-sponsor “I Can Hope.” The cancer education program’s first class begins Feb. 7. 5-7 p.m. Free. 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte. Registration for the six-class series is required. Call (818) 359-8111 . . . On Feb. 7 a forum on AIDS, “A Special Report on the Third National Human Retroviral Conference,” will be held for free from 7-9 p.m. West Hollywood Elementary School, 970 N. Hammond St., West Hollywood. Call (213) 962-8197 (or (818) 908-8849 for details.

Briefly

UCLA researchers conducting a study on menopause are looking for women who have had breast cancer one to five years ago and at least one severe menopausal symptom. Call (310) 825-2520 for details . . . Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center’s clinical nutrition department is offering a weight loss program, I-DEAL. The 12-week course includes discussions with nutritionists, physicians, psychologists, nurses and physical therapists. $20 registration; $4 per session. 1300 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. Call (213) 413-3000.

* This health roundup appears on Tuesdays. Items to be considered should be mailed 3 1/2 weeks before the event to Candace A. Wedlan, Healthwatch, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. Fax: (213) 237-4888.