Let’s be real. It's hard to eat the proper three balanced meals a day, work out consistently and resist late night cravings (even when you are sober). Sleep is precious, so many college students, myself included, prioritize sleep over eating an actual breakfast or working out.
Enter OnPoint Nutrition, a virtual weight loss and nutrition company based in Philadelphia. OnPoint Nutrition’s primary function is one of virtual weight loss and nutrition counseling, but the company approaches sororities with a different mission. Founder Britney Kennedy understands eating healthily for college students is challenging (especially when Insomnia Cookies is a call away) and therefore aims to focus on nutrition awareness and healthy habits as opposed to weight loss when working with sororities. Feeling that this was in keeping with their values, one Penn sorority chose to partner with them this year. Tri–Delta’s partnership with the company includes two one–hour information sessions per semester, along with every woman in the chapter having access to the online portal where all the content is held such as a nutrition guide, member chat forum and a workout component—resources that normally would not be in a college student’s budget. Anyone can join OnPoint Nutrition by filling out a form online and paying $9.95 a month for the online program. The online program includes access to a recipe database, exclusive fat burning workouts from Nike ELITE trainer Chelsey Pagana, materials to help the client reach their goal and daily group chats with the nutritionists. The online membership is “intended for individuals who are not 100 percent ready to start working with the team one on one and want to ease into the process.”
However, when one signs up with OnPoint Nutrition (not just for the online program), he or she will meet with a nutritionist two times a week (via video chat or phone) for a 30 minute meeting and will have unlimited virtual contact through email and text. These meetings are designed to help personalize a meal outline and discuss challenges. The client will also receive a nutrition guide, recipe book, weekly food logs, complete food guide and tips for eating out. All programs consist of a weight loss phase then a weight maintenance phase. Many clients then choose to transition into the online program once they have completed their weekly sessions and monthly maintenance check–ins.
Tri–Delta president Amanda Hulse tried out this partnership after the company reached out mid–summer offering to do a free nutrition and health program for the chapter. “Tri–Delt nationally has a really big emphasis on promoting positive body image among its women (there’s a body image 3D program that all new members go through), so I tried to explain that I didn’t want to bring anything into the chapter that might promote negative body image and/or negative habits not only because I obviously care about our members individually, but also because it goes against the values on a national level.” Britney understood and reiterated the focus of the program is not to promote weight loss, but nutrition, and Amanda decided the program fit well with the values of the sorority. Currently, OnPoint is partnered with eight other sororities at schools such as Temple, Villanova, Penn State and University of Delaware.
Prior to the information sessions, the company surveys the girls in the sorority to get an idea of what they want to learn about. The first information session, held back in September, covered four main topics: quick healthy meals and snacks, eating on a budget, proper portioning and workout tips. The information session also discussed good breakfast options, lunch and dinner within a college setting, healthy snacks and when it is appropriate to snack and finally planning and goal setting.
