What are Health and
Wellness?
Mr. Bower
Health Education
Health Literacy
• Health Literacy: involves an individual’s capacity
to obtain, interpret and understand basic health
information and services that will promote
positive health and wellness.
In order to be Health Literate, a person must be:
1.
A Critical Thinker and Problem Solver
–
2.
A Responsible, Productive Citizen
–
3.
Must make decisions that promote health to himself and those
around him
A Self-Directed Learner
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4.
Can evaluate information and solve problems encountered
Able to gather and use accurate information throughout life.
Able to gain knowledge based on issues that arise in various times
of life
An Effective Communicator
–
Can communicate knowledge and information to others in variety
of forms
OUR GOAL……………
• Improved Quality of life
The degree of overall satisfaction that a person
gets from life
So why has the emphasis of health shifted from the absence of
disease to a broader focus on the person’s quality of life???
• length of life
• Conditions we live under
• Medical advances
• Improvements in sanitation
Life expectancy
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1900 ____________________47 years
1920 ____________________54.1 years
1940____________________62.9 years
1960____________________69.7 years
1980____________________73.7 years
1985____________________74.7 years
2009____________________78 years
• Why is it easier to have a longer life in our country
vs. some other places in the world?
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/rankorder/2102rank.html
• So just what determines YOUR health and
wellness???
Mainly your lifestyle!
Today’s leading causes of death are diseases that are
strongly influenced by your lifestyle.
In the early 1900’s the leading causes of diseases could
be passed on from one person to another
Leading causes of death
1900
1. pneumonia/influenza
2. tuberculosis
3. Diseases of the stomach
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
6. Kidney Disease
7. Accidents
8. Cancer
9. Childhood disease
10. Diptheria
Today
1. Heart disease
2. Cancer
3. Stroke
4. Accidents
5. Lung disease
6. pneumonia/influenza
7. diabetes
8. suicide
9. Liver disease
10. Atherosclerosis
Health
• Health is not merely the Physical well-being of an
individual
• Health is the combination of your ……
3 Elements of Health
• Physical Health
• Mental/Emotional Health
• Social Health
Physical Health
• Physical Health
– The way the parts of the body and systems of the body work
together
• When you are physically healthy, your body…
– Has the ability to cope with daily stresses
– Has the strength and energy to pursue physical challenges
and fight off illnesses and infections
– Has the strength and energy to deal with
mental, emotional and social changes in life
Mental/Emotional Health
• Mental Health
– Mental health includes:
•
Your ability to meet the demands
of daily life.
• Your ability to use and develop
critical thinking skills
– People with good mental
health see…
• Learning new information
as a life process that is
enjoyable
• Making mistakes as a
chance to learn, grow, and
change
•
Emotional Health
– Emotional health includes:
• Your feelings about yourself
• How you relate to others
• Being in touch with your own
feelings
• Expressing your emotions in a
healthful way
– People with good emotional health…
• Avoid negative thoughts and
emotions
• Consider all options and
situations, then rationally
expresses his/her emotions in
response to the situation
Social Health
• Involves the way you get
along with others.
• Also involves:
– Your ability to make and
keep friends
– Your ability to cooperate
and communicate with
others around you.
– It involves a constant
respect and sense of
responsibility for self and
others.
Health Triangle
•In order to have optimal
health, a person must be
equally healthy in all three
areas of the triangle.
•When one side of the
triangle gets too much or
little attention, the triangle
becomes lopsided.
•To be truly healthy, you
need to keep all 3 sides of
your health triangle - and
your life - in balance
Health Continuum
• Your health is dynamic (always changing)
• Your health is always changing its place on the
continuum
• From day to day (year to year), you experience
different levels of total health
NOTE: THIS CAN BE CONTROLLABLE
The Health Continuum
Loss of Health Improved Health
and Wellness
and Wellness
Premature
Death
People on this side of the continuum usually do
not take responsibility for maintaining their own
health.
High Level of
Health
Many people
function
below the
midpoint line
People on this side of the continuum usually
exhibit a high degree of responsibility, discipline
and positive direction in life. They accept the
responsibility for maintaining their own health.
Wellness
• WELLNESS – optimal health and vitality
encompassing all 3 areas of health.
Wellness
(+) Physical
Health
(+) Mental/
Emotional Health
(+) Social
Health
Wellness
• A person with a balanced life is said to have a high
degree of wellness, or total health.
• It comes from a way of living each day that includes
making decisions and practicing behaviors that are
based on sound health knowledge and healthful
attitudes.
• Achieving wellness is an ongoing, lifelong commitment
to physical, mental/emotional, and social health.
Our Goal
Optimal Health and Wellness
Healthy Eating Club, 2001
Promoting Your Health
• In addition to becoming health literate, there are
3 ways to promote your health and wellness
– (+) Lifestyle Factors
– (+) Attitudes Toward Health
– Prevention of Injury and Illness
(+) Lifestyle Factors
• Lifestyle factors: are personal behaviors and habits related to the
way that a person lives, that helps to determine their health
• Seven (+) Lifestyle factors
– Sleep 7-8 hours per night
– Eat nutritious foods from each of the food groups
– Refrain from smoking, tobacco products and those who do use those
products
– Eat breakfast daily
– Do 30 minutes of non-stop physical activity at least 3 times per week
– Do not use alcohol or other drugs
– Maintain recommended weight
HOW MANY OF THESE LIFESTYLE FACTORS
DO YOU FOLLOW?
(+) Health Attitudes
• It is not enough to just KNOW what to do to stay
healthy.
• You must BELIEVE that there is some benefit to good
health habits and problems for poor health habits.
• Studies have shown that people with (+) attitudes are
less likely to suffer injury and illness than those who
have (-) attitudes (STRESS)
Prevention
• Prevention: practicing healthy habits to keep a person well and
free from disease and other ailments
• Preventing injury and illness is the best way to promote health
• Examples:
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Wear seatbelt
Wear helmets
Apply sunscreen
Avoid dangerous situations/areas
Perform (+) lifestyle factors
Create your own Health Triangle
Health Triangle Directions
Three categories of risk factors:
1. Heredity risk factors
2. Environmental risk factors
3. Behavioral Risk Factors
Three categories of risk factors:
1. Heredity risk factors –
to some extent, a person’s health is determined
at the time he is born!
Inherited risk factors such as…
• High blood pressure
• Breast cancer
• Heart disease
Can you do anything about inherited risk
factors?
2. Environmental risk factors the surroundings in which one lives, both
physical and social.
Physical environment –
includes both your outdoor and indoor
environment. Things such as…..
• Air
• Water
• Sun (radiation)
• Loud noises
• Poisonous wastes
• Smoke filled room
• Social Environment –
the people that you hang around with…your
family, friends, classmates.
• At your age, your friends have a great influence
on your level of wellness.
WHY???
3. Behavioral Risk Factors –
are the day to day decisions that you make.
• They are often far more important to your
health than both heredity and
environmental risk factors.
• You alone decide which behavioral risk
factors you will face such as…
• Drugs, tobacco, foods, keeping anger and
strong feelings bottled up inside, not taking
time to relax
• There are many behavior risks that are worth
taking! What would be some of your choices?
Taking responsibility for your health
• You are at the age where you have more control
over your life than at any earlier age.
Three most common causes of teenage death are
not due to illness.
Do you know the top three? (Hint: all three are linked to
behavioral risk factors.)
Three most common causes of
teenage death are:
• Accidents
• Suicide
– Homicide
What risk behavior is common to all three?
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
• INFORMATION GATHERED FOR OTHER
AGE GROUPS ALSO SHOW BEHAVIOR RISK
FACTORS TO BE AT THE ROOT OF MANY OF
THE COUNTRY’S HEALTH PROBLEMS.
• The practice of PREVENTION, or the practice of
healthy behaviors can help keep a person free of
disease and other health problems
How can you make changes for your
health?
1. Awareness –
you must be aware of potential health problems
such as health concerns that run in your family’s
history. Or, recognize unhealthy signs and see a
doctor for treatment
2. Knowledge –
once you become aware of health problems,
learn some of the facts about it!
3. Decision Making –
even with awareness and knowledge, it is not always
easy to decide on the best course of action.
Consider your values – the standards and beliefs
that are important to you.
4. Apply the skill by practicing it.
Make it a habit, such as daily exercise, healthy food
choices, healthy ways to release anger…
Decisions, Decisions,
Decisions
Objectives
• TSWBAT
– Understand vocabulary connected with the decision
making and goal setting life skills
– Make appropriate healthful decisions by using the
Decision Making model
– Show an understanding of the types of goals one
can make for themselves
– Create short-term and long-term goals in order to
maintain a healthy life
This person has to
make decisions that
will determine his
financial future.
What decisions have you made for yourself
that can affect your future?
Decision Making and Goal Setting
• When you make decisions or set goals, you are
experiencing power over how healthy, happy and
productive you can be.
• Making responsible decisions and setting
MEANINGFUL goals are important skills that
can promote individual, family and community
health.
Decision Making Skills
Decision Making Skills:
– steps that enable you to make a healthful decision.
These steps are designed to protect your rights and
health while respecting the rights and health of
others around you.
Decision Making Skill
• Define the problem
• Explore the alternatives
• Consider the consequences
Identify your values
• Decide and act on decision
• Evaluate the result
DECIDE
• DEFINE THE PROBLEM:
– What are you trying to DECIDE?
– State the issue clearly
– Is it important and complex enough?
DECIDE
• EXPLORE THE ALTERNATIVES:
– List all of the possible choices you could make to
solve the problem
– “Doing nothing” can be an alternative to explore
– Make sure choices are realistic
DEC IDE
• CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES:
Use the word HELP to guide your choices:
– H (Healthful)- What health risks will this option present, if
any?
– E (Ethical)- Does this choice reflect what you and your
family believe is right?
– L (Legal)- Does this option violate any local, state or federal
laws?
– P (Parent Approval)- Would your parents or guardians
approve of this choice?
DECIDE
• IDENTIFY YOUR VALUES:
– The things you believe in strongly affect how you
live your life
– May or may not influence decisions
– Overlooking values may lead to uncomfortable
feelings about decision later
– Consider long term goals as well as beliefs of family,
religion, and community
– Which choice is most in line with your values?
DECIDE
• DECIDE AND ACT:
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Compare the alternatives
Choose the alternative that is best for you
There may be more than one “right” choice
Act on the decision by breaking it down into smaller
steps and setting realistic deadlines for each step
– Follow through with your plan
– Your decision should not be Impulsive!
DECIDE
• EVALUATE THE RESULTS:
– After decision has been put into effect take time to
review it, how did it work out?
– How has it affected your life?
– How has it affected others?
– What did you learn?
– If you could do it over again, would you do it
differently?
References
• Health: A Guide to Wellness. Glencoe/McGraw
Hill, 2003.
• Healthy Eating Club, 2001.