Ch.1 Understanding Your Health
Created by Coach Luttrell
Information taken from Bronson, M.H.,
Cleary, M.J., Hubbard, B.M., Zike, D.,
Glencoe Teen Health Course 3, 2009
Lesson 1: What is Health & Wellness
Objectives:
The student will be able to define health.
the student will be able to identify the three sides of the
health triangle.
the student will be able to explain how health habits affect
wellness.
Vocabulary (2):
Health, Wellness
what is health?
Looking fit and feeling well are important, but
good health does not stop there.
It also includes getting along with others and
feeling good about yourself.
Health is a combination of physical,
mental/emotional and social well-being.
All three are related and make up your total
health.
Every choice you make, big or small, shapes
your health.
Through this chapter we will be learning steps
for making good decisions and ways to practice
good health habits.
your health triangle
Total health is pictured as a triangle, where each side
represents a part of your total health.
physical health
What are some examples of physical health?
Ways to improve your physical health:
Be physically active and exercise
Eat nutritious meals and snacks
Get regular check-ups at the doctor and dentist
Avoid harmful behaviors like using alcohol, tobacco and
other drugs.
mental/emotional health
Liking and accepting yourself
Handling challenges
Finding positive solutions to
problems
How to improve Mental/Emotional
health
Learn to express yourself in healthy
ways
Share thoughts and feelings
Have a positive attitude
social health
Good social health includes:
Supporting the people you care about
Being able to communicate with others
Valuing and respecting people
Making and keeping friends
Having good relationships helps us feel cared for and
respected.
achieving a healthy balance
The three sides of the health triangle are
connected.
When one side changes the other two are affected.
Example: Sean woke up late for school and didn't
have time to eat breakfast. Now it's not even lunch
time and Sean is having trouble paying attention in
class, he is being very short tempered with his
classmates and he is starting to feel hungry and
tired.
Which sides were affected in what ways?
Being healthy means balancing all three sides of
your health triangle.
wellness & total health
When your health is in balance, you are
more likely to have a high level of
wellness.
Wellness is a state of well-being, or total
health.
It is an indication of current health habits
and behaviors.
Any decision you make can affect your
wellness.
The ideas in this chapter will help you
achieve good total health now and in the
future.
Ch. 1 Lesson 1 Questions
1. Define health.
2. What are the three sides of the health triangle?
3. What role do decisions play in wellness? What other
factors affect a person's wellness?
4. Kathy spends a lot of time with her friends. They watch
movies, listen to CDs and go shopping. Kathy gets good
grades except in her PE class. Which part of her total
health is out of balance? What could she do to improve
this area of wellness?
5. Masaki rarely catches a cold. Does this mean he has a
high level of wellness? Why or why not?
Lesson 2: changes during the teen years
Objectives:
the student will be able to:
describe physical changes that occur during the teen years.
identify the mental and emotional changes hormones cause.
explain how their relationships may change.
practice healthful behaviors to improve total health.
Vocabulary Words (5):
adolescence, puberty, hormones, peers, community service
adolescence: time of change and challenge
next to infancy, adolescence is the fastest period of physical growth.
Adolescence is the stage of life between childhood and adulthood.
being to form your own beliefs and values
learn about yourself and your abilities
meet new people and have new experiences
gain greater independence and take on responsibilities
this can be exciting, challenging and even a little scary
these changes will affect all sides of your health triangle.
physical changes
growing taller, body hair, shape of body, voice changes,
menstruation, etc.
These and other changes are the result of puberty.
puberty is the time when you start developing physical
characteristics of adults of your gender.
girls usually between 8-14 yrs old
boys usually between 11-14 yrs old
what causes the changes?
hormones are chemical substances,
produced in glands, that help regulate
many body functions.
these changes can make teens feel
uncomfortable
remember that puberty is normal and it
happens to everyone
be respectful of these changes in
others and others should be respectful
of the changes in you.
if you have any questions or concerns
talk with a parent or trusted adult.
mental/emotional changes
the way you think and reason
also changes during
adolescence.
you are beginning to be able to:
face problems that are more
complex
imagine possible consequences
of your actions
understand different points of
view
realize your choices affect others
develop your own values and
beliefs
Mental/emotional changes
many teens experience mood swings
These sudden emotional changes are caused by the release
of hormones
mood swings can be confusing and challenging, but they are
normal for teens to experience.
it is important to use resources from home, school and the
community to deal with these emotional changes.
learn to communicate your feelings with friends, family
members or trusted adults.
mental/emotional changes
developing feelings of attraction towards
others is a normal change during the teen
years.
some will start to think about dating, however
not all teens feel ready or are interested in
dating.
these feelings develop at different times for
different people
an increased awareness in what is important
to you is another emotional change that teens
begin to experience.
things like how important your family and
friends are, that you like being healthy, setting
goals, or that you are becoming aware of the
importance of making healthy choices and
taking responsibility.
social changes
relationships also change
during adolescence.
healthy relationships are
important to good social
health.
during adolescence you
might experience
changes in your
relationships with family,
peers and the community.
family relationships
you may no longer depend on your parents or other
family members as much as you once did.
you are learning to act independently and make
decisions yourself, which can sometimes cause
problems between you and your family.
curfew, dating, friends, clothing, music, TV, etc.
despite the differences, keeping a positive relationship
with your family is important to good social health.
talk openly with your parents about your thoughts and
feelings, listen to each other, be respectful and try to
compromise if possible.
spending time with family members helps to strengthen
your relationships with each other.
peer relationships
peers are people in your age group.
during adolescence your peers take on greater importance.
you being to spend more time together
your opinions and behaviors will often be influenced by your peers.
peer pressure can be positive or negative depending on what your
friends are pressuring you to do and what the consequences are.
Good social health includes learning to benefit from positive peer
influence and resisting negative peer influence.
Relationships with the community
your community includes your
neighborhood, school and the city where
you live.
social growth includes making positive
contributions to your community.
community service includes volunteer
programs whose goal is to improve the
community and the life of its residents.
food drive, trash pick up, big brother/sister,
etc.
many teens find community service events
to be a rewarding experience.
ch. 1 lesson 2 questions
1. define puberty.
2. what are mood swings? what causes them?
3. what are some physical changes that occur
during the teen years? (at least 3)
4. regi's cousin told her she is upset about
differences she is having with her parents. What
advice would you give the cousin if you were in
Regi's place?
5. what are two ways that you could become
involved in your own community?
Lesson 3: taking responsibility for your
health
Objectives:
The student will be able to:
explain the role of lifestyle factors in a person's health.
identify ways to reduce risks in your life.
Tell how abstinence benefits the three sides of you health triangle.
describe ways in which you can take responsibility for your health.
Vocabulary (8 Words): lifestyle factors, risk behaviors, sedentary
lifestyle, cumulative risks, precautions, prevention, abstinence, attitude
choosing to live healthfully
lifestyle factors: behaviors and habits that help determine a person's
level of health and wellness.
Do you wear sunscreen, get enough sleep, help a friend in need?
These are all reflections of personal lifestyle factors.
Related to the cause or prevention of health problems
Negative lifestyle factors promote poor health
positive lifestyle factors promote good health
Risks and your health
We are warned of dangers and
risks by signs.
risks are an unavoidable part of
life, but by learning how to
make healthy choices we help
reduce those risks.
Taking responsibility for your
personal health behaviors is
par of growing into a
responsible adult.
risk behaviors
risk behaviors: actions or behvaiors that might
cause injury or harm to yourself or others.
some behaviors are obvious like not using a
cross walk or not wearing a seat belt.
others are less obvious because the effects are
not immediate like smoking or not protecting
yourself from the sun. These still have a lasting
negative impact on your health.
Understanding short-term and long-term risks
helps in making better decisions.
sedentary lifestyle: is a way of life that includes
little or no physical activity.
risks and consequences
all risk behaviors have consequences, some are more serious than
others.
Ex: Not wearing sun screen. What is a short-term and a long term
consequence of this?
The choices you make and the consequences that follow can affect all
three sides of your health triangle
Ex: Using drugs. How can it affect your physical, social and
mental/emotional health?
Cumulative risks: related risks that increase in effect with each added
risk.
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reducing risks
precautions: planned actions taken before an
event to increase the chances of a safe outcome.
using positive health behaviors can help reduce
some risks.
wearing a seat belt, checking depth of water
before diving, wearing a bike helmet when riding,
don't text and drive, etc.
prevention: taking steps to keep something from
happening or getting worse.
going to the doctor or dentist for regular checkups can help prevent health problems.
choosing abstinence
abstinence: is the conscious, active chose not to
participate in high-risk behaviors.
You often hear abstinence in connection with
avoiding sexual activity, However it extends to any
high-risk behavior like drugs, alcohol or tobacco.
benefits all sides of your health triangle:
Physical- avoiding injury and illness
Mental/Emotional- peace of mind, no worries
Social- keeps relationships with friends and family
strong
Practicing abstinence shows you are assuming
responsibility for your personal health behaviors
and that you respect yourself and others.
taking responsibility for your health
Most teens want to have more responsibility and freedom
the first step is accepting responsibility for your health
staying informed about new breakthroughs and other health news is a good
way to stay healthy
attitude: a personal feeling or belief
if you can keep a positive attitude it will help you practice good health habits
and stay responsible.
taking responsibility for your health is more than just recognizing healthy
choices and risk behaviors. It means believing that good health habits can
have a positive effect.
ch. 1 Lesson 3 Questions
1.) what are lifestyle factors?
2.) what are some ways teens can reduce risks related to
health problems?
3.) how does abstinence benefit all sides of your health
triangle?
4.) steve and michael are brothers who both play on the
school basketball team. Before practice, michael takes a
few minutes to stretch and warm up, but steve does not.
compare and contrast the teens' methods for preventing
injuries.
5.) What is an example of a cumulative risk and how does
it affect all three sides of your health triangle?