Dana Melvin, B.A.'87

Phat, Not Fat

Phat is a good thing: It’s attractive, healthy, cool. And certified personal fitness trainer and author Dana Melvin wants to inspire African-American women to become phat.

To that end, the former Buffalo Bills wide receiver penned PHAT & FIT: The Ultimate Workout for Women of Color (Booklogix Publishing Services, 2011) to “shed light on cultural differences pertaining to African-American women” while motivating readers to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Melvin pinpoints physical differences that distinguish black women’s body types from those
of other races, and examines the social and lifestyle factors that often influence eating habits and physical activity levels. He takes note of issues, such as health problems and stress, that must be taken into account when an individual makes diet and fitness changes. PHAT & FIT also includes recipes, as well as descriptions and illustrations of exercises.

Melvin’s interest in health and fitness was piqued at the University at Albany, where he majored in Africana studies and minored in medical anthropology. His anthropology classes made him think about “human health and its cultural distinctions” and about sharing that knowledge with others. As president/owner of Dana’s Total Fitness in Maryland and Georgia and a longtime physical education teacher and coach in both states, Melvin remains committed to his “quest to mold the lives of children and save lives.”

His newest enterprise, a business venture with WellSpa, opened last year in Atlanta, where the native New Yorker resides with his family.

Visit Melvin’s Web site at www.danastotalfitness.com.