Chapter 1: Living a Healthy Life - Weebly

Living a Healthy Life

Your Health and Wellness Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle Your Behavior and Reducing Health Risks

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Before You Read Make this Foldable to help you organize your notes on health, wellness, and the health continuum. Begin with one sheet of plain 81/2 x 11 paper or one sheet of notebook paper.

Fold the sheet of paper in half along the short axis.

Fold in half again along the short axis.

Cut up the inside fold of the front flap. Label the flaps as shown.

Health Continuum

As You Read Analyze and record your current position on the continuum diagram. Under the tabs, record habits, decisions, and other factors that influence your health.

Using Visuals. Each day you make decisions that affect your health. What you choose to eat, your level of physical activity, how you manage stress, and the types of relationships you have all influence your overall feeling of well-being. Make a list of five decisions you've made this week that have had a positive effect on your health.

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Your Health and Wellness

VOC AB U LAR Y

h e a lt h w e lln e s s p re ve n t io n h e a lt h e d u c a t io n Healthy People

2010 h e a lt h lit e r a c y

YOU ' LL LEARN TO

? Relate the nation's health goals and objectives in Healthy People 2010 to individual, family, and community health.

? Develop evaluation criteria for health information.

? Discuss the importance of health literacy for achieving and maintaining good health.

On a sheet of paper, complete the following statement: When you have good healt h, you . . .

Spending time with friends is an important part of health. Give an example of how relationships can have a positive impact on healt h.

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Chapter 1 Living a He althy Life

S u p p ose som eon e asks wh eth er you are h ealth y. How wou ld you an swer? Wou ld you con sid er on ly you r p h ysical h ealth ? For exam p le, wou ld you th in k of h ow often you are sick? Th rou gh ou t th is course, you will see th at h ealth is m uch m ore th an just th e absen ce of d isease. A state of well-bein g com es from a balan ce between th e ph ysical, m en tal/em otion al, an d social aspects of your life. In th is ch apter you will look at ways to ach ieve an d m ain tain th is balan ce.

The Importance of Good Health

W h at is your usual respon se to th e question , "How are you?" A true description of your h ealth would require m uch m ore th an a sim ple "fin e" or "okay." H e a l t h is the com bination of physical, m ental/em otional, and social well-being. It is n ot an absolu te state. Bein g h ealth y d oesn 't m ean th at you will n ever be sick or th at you will be guaran teed

a position on th e basketball team . In stead, bein g h ealth y m ean s strivin g to be th e best you can be at an y given tim e.

The Health Continuum

Health is d yn am ic, or su bject to con stan t ch an ge. For exam p le, you m igh t be th e top perform er for your basketball team on Tu esd ay an d sick in bed with th e flu on Wed n esd ay. Th in k of you r h ealth at an y m om en t as a p oin t alon g a continuum . Th is con tin uum span s th e com plete spectrum of h ealth from ch ron ic disease an d p rem atu re d eath to a h igh level of h ealth . Alon g th e con tin uum are m an y poin ts wh ere your h ealth could be located at an y given tim e. Th is p oin t ch an ges from d ay to d ay an d year to year.

Ch an ges alon g th e con tin u u m m ay occu r su d d en ly, su ch as wh en you get in ju red p layin g a sp ort. At th is tim e of you r life, it's even com m on for your em otion s to sh ift sudden ly from m om en t to m om en t. Kn owin g th at th ese em otion al sh ifts are n orm al can h elp you m ain tain a h ealth ful balan ce as you m ove alon g th e con tin uum .

Ch an ges m ay also be so grad u al th at you 're n ot even aware th at you 're m ovin g from on e sid e of th e con tin u u m to th e oth er. Take a look at Fi g u re 1 .1 . W h ere d o you fit on th e h ealth con tin u u m righ t n ow? Wh ere would you like to be in a m on th ? A year?

A person with a balan ced life is said to h ave a h igh degree of w e l l n e ss, an overall state of well-being, or total health. It com es from a way of livin g each day th at in cludes m akin g decision s an d practicin g beh aviors th at are based on soun d h ealth kn owledge an d h ealth fu l attitu des. Ach ievin g welln ess req u ires an on goin g, lifelon g com m itm en t to ph ysical, m en tal/em otion al, an d social h ealth .

When you feel your best, you will perform at your best. How might maintaining a high level of wellness help you reach your goals?

TH E H EALTH CONTI NU U M

The continuum shows that your health can be measured on a sliding scale, with many degrees of health and wellness. Name three behaviors that would help you move toward the right side of the continuum.

Pr emat ur e Death

Loss of Health and Wellness

Improved Health and Wellness

High Level of Health

Chronic disorders

Lack of energy, inattention, minor aches and pains

Free from aches M oderate level Optimal level

and pains

of energy of energy, feeling

of well-being

People on this side of the continuum usually do not take responsibility for maintaining their own health.

M any people function below

the wellness midpoint .

People on this side of the continuum usually exhibit a high degree of responsibility, discipline, and positive direction in life. They accept responsibility for maintaining their own health.

Lesson 1 Yo ur He alth and We llne ss

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Research has shown that teens need more sleep than adults. Establishing a regular sleep schedule can help you get enough sleep each night. What are two other actions you can take to ensure that you get an adequate amount of sleep?

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Chapter 1 Living a He althy Life

Promoting Your Health

T h e decision s you m ake each day affect your h ealth . W h at you ch oose to wear, eat, an d d o can h ave person al h ealth con sequen ces th at you m ay n ot h ave

con sidered. For exam ple, n ot wearin g th e proper safety gear wh en participatin g in a ph ysical activity in creases th e ch an ces of serious in jury in th e even t of an accid en t. Eatin g h igh -calorie sn acks can resu lt in u n h ealth ful weigh t gain . Makin g respon sible decision s about h ealth an d developin g h ealth -prom otin g h abits are crucial to ach ievin g an d m ain tain in g welln ess an d preven tin g disease.

Lifestyle Factors

Exp erts h ave id en tified h abits th at affect p eop le's overall h ealth , h ap p in ess, an d longevity, or h ow lon g th ey live. Th ese h abits, or lifestyle factors, are p erson al beh aviors related to th e way a p erson lives. Th ey h elp d eterm in e h is or h er level of h ealth . Certain lifestyle factors are lin ked to specific d iseases--for exam p le, sm okin g an d lu n g can cer. Oth er lifestyle factors p rom ote good h ealth . Th ese in clu d e:

gettin g 8 to 10 h ours of sleep each n igh t.

startin g each day with a h ealth y breakfast.

eatin g a variety of n u tritiou s food s each d ay.

bein g p h ysically active for at least 20 m in u tes a d ay, th ree or m ore days a week.

m ain tain in g a h ealth y weigh t.

avoidin g tobacco, alcoh ol, an d oth er drugs.

abstain in g from sexual activity before m arriage.

m an agin g stress.

m ain tain in g positive relation sh ips.

practicin g safe beh aviors to preven t in juries.

Fittin g th ese h ealth -p rom otin g lifestyle factors in to you r life will h elp en sure a h igh level of welln ess.

Wellness and Prevention

A key to you r welln ess is p re v e n t i o n --practicing health and safety habits to rem ain free of disease and injury. Wearin g safety belts, applyin g sun screen , an d avoidin g un safe areas are just a few exam ples of preven tive m easures. Wh at oth er action s could you take to preven t illn ess an d in jury?

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