Key Words • bone density • calcium • calories • carbohydrates • cholesterol • energy • fats • kilocalories • metabolism • minerals • nutrient requirements • nutrition • osteoporosis • processed foods • protein • RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) • vegetarianism • vitamins • vitamin supplements 6. How is energy from food measured? 13. Are there risks involved with taking vitamins? Food energy is measured in calories. When we talk about the caloric content of food, we are really discussing the amount of energy we can obtain from it. If you do not consume enough food energy, your body will break down stored fat to use as energy. If there is not a sufficient amount of stored fat to use as energy, your body will begin to break down muscle. A simple daily vitamin cannot hurt and may actually benefit the body. A great deal of research is being done to determine if larger doses of vitamins can make people healthier. Taking too many vitamins can be dangerous. There are two categories of vitamins, some that dissolve in water and those that dissolve in fat. If you take too many of the vitamins that dissolve in water you urinate them out. If you take too many of the vitamins that dissolve in fat, they are stored in the fat and can cause serious problems. The vitamins that are stored in fat are vitamins A, D, E and K. 8. What happens to your body if you take in too much food energy? 14. Define metabolism. When you consume more food energy than your body requires, it gets stored in the form of fat. Metabolism is the energy/calories your body uses simply to exist; it takes energy to keep your heart beating, your lungs working, etc. 9. If you do not eat enough your body begins to use stored fat for energy. Does this mean that dieting or starvation is a great way to get rid of excess fat? 15. How does severe dieting affect metabolism? 7. What happens to your body if you do not take in enough food energy? No. Dieting is not the best way to get rid of excess fat, especially for teens. Your body always requires new “building blocks.” Eat sensible meals and avoid over-eating. The best way to burn up energy and rid yourself of excess fat is by exercising. Questions for Discussion 1. If we break food down into its simplest forms, what is it composed of? The foods we eat are composed of protein, fats, carbohydrates including sugars, water, minerals and vitamins. 2. If we could break down the body into its simplest forms, what would we find it to be composed of? We would find that the body is composed of protein, fats, carbohydrates including sugars, water, minerals and vitamins. 3. Where does the body get its “building materials”? Foods are the building blocks of the body. Your body takes in food and breaks it down into its simplest forms (i.e. protein, minerals, and so on). These “blocks” are then transported through the blood to places where they are needed. 4. Why is it important to supply your body with its required “building blocks”? The body cannot grow as well and does not have as firm a foundation without its “building blocks.” A perfect example is the bones. They need a diet rich in calcium. If you do not eat enough of this building block, your skeleton will still be good enough to hold your body, but it will be much weaker. 10. Why is food energy important to athletes? What types of foods provide athletes with the energy they need? Athletes want energy that burns easily, is readily available and will last a long time. Complex carbohydrates, found in foods such as pastas, bread, fruits and vegetables provide this needed energy. Complex carbohydrates are related to sugars. Sweets such as candy and soda are also made up of carbohydrates or sugars. These also burn easily; however, they burn too fast. They do not provide the body with enough energy to exercise for a long period of time. 11. A variety of foods provides the body with the energy and “building blocks” it needs. How else is the food you eat important in the maintenance of your body? Food contains vitamins, minerals and fibers. Minerals are building blocks. The body has millions of little chemical reactions happening every second. Vitamins are chemicals which act as “little keys” to start these important chemical reactions. Fiber is a component of certain foods which passes right through your body without providing you with energy or “building blocks”. Still, fiber is a very important part of the diet because it helps food travel through your body, aiding in digestion. Research has shown that a diet rich in fiber may prevent certain types of cancer. 12. We often see many advertisements stressing the importance of taking daily vitamins. Is it necessary to supplement the diet by taking vitamins? 5. We know that foods provide the “building materials” for our bodies.What else does food provide for our bodies? It is not necessary to take supplemental vitamins if you eat a balanced diet including fruits and vegetables. You should speak with a doctor or nutritionist if you are concerned about the quality of your diet. Food provides us with energy. It is the fuel that runs the body. (continued) 2 Severe dieting slows down your metabolism because your body does not have enough energy to burn. Your body begins to burn less energy, even while you are sitting still. This is one of the many reasons exercise and proper diet are more sensible ways to achieve weight loss than starvation dieting. You can eat sensibly and exercise over the course of your lifetime, you cannot starvation diet for a lifetime. 16. Is it necessary to cut “junk food” entirely out of your diet? It is not necessary to cut “junk foods” entirely from your diet; however, these foods should be eaten in moderation. Try to find snack foods that are healthy as well as tasty. 17. Explain how fatty foods can be harmful to the body. Fatty foods, if consumed in moderation, can be part of a sensible diet. However, they are high in calories and cause you to gain fat more than any other type of food. Fats also stick to the walls of your veins and arteries; this “clogging“ of the arteries can lead to heart disease. 18. What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is the most dangerous type of fat. 19. It is important to include calcium in your diet in order to keep your teeth and bones healthy.What are some good sources of calcium? Milk products and green leafy vegetables are rich sources of calcium. Questions for Further Thought 1. Do you think that advertisers have an influence over what we choose to eat and drink? How might they convince us to try a new product? Why do they want to influence us? 2.Why is breakfast the most important meal of the day? (continued) 3 4 TEACHER’S GUIDE TEACHER’S GUIDE Extended Activities For Further Information ACTIVITY #1 Ask each student to bring to class at least one “nutritional facts” label from a food item. Discuss the importance of using these labels in making wise eating decisions. Compare food items in terms of fat content, carbohydrate content, etc. Be sure to discuss serving size. It is important that each of us understands what it means to eat a well-balanced diet. Making healthy food choices will help you live a longer and healthier life. If you would like further information about making good nutritional choices contact: ACTIVITY #2 Have students complete a one day meal plan based on the food pyramid below.They should include three full meals and one or two snacks. It may be helpful to use information from the collected food labels regarding suggested serving sizes. Oils, Fats, Sweets (in small amounts) Dairy 2-3 Servings TEACHER’S GUIDE THE The Consumer Nutrition Hot Line of the American Dietetic Association Call: 800-366-1655 E-mail: hotline@eatright.org Web site: www.eatright.org/hotline.html SC H L E S S I N G ER T E E N HEALTH V I D E O S E R I E S Meat/Fish 2-3 Servings Vegetables 3-5 Servings Fruits 2-4 Servings Carbohydrates 6-11 Servings ACTIVITY #3 For every 3,000 calories you burn you are able to lose one pound. Use the chart below to develop a weekly exercise routine that will allow you to burn a pound a week. If you do not want to lose weight, you will have to eat more to get the extra fuel that your body needs. If you have extra fat, your body will use this as a fuel; this allows you to lose the weight. Either way, your body will become healthier in the process. Make sure this is a plan that you can have fun with! Calories Burned Per Hour During Various Activities (approximate) 150-240 walking 240-300 bowling volleyball badminton (doubles) 300-360 ballet tennis (doubles) 360-420 cycling ice skating dancing roller skating 420-480 downhill skiing water skiing cross-country skiing badminton 480-600 touch football basketball 600-800 running handball 5 Teacher’s Guide Written by: Kenneth R. Ginsburg, M.D., M.S.Ed. — Section of Adolescent Medicine, Department of General Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Tammy W. Reardon, B.Ed. — Schlessinger Video Productions The Complete 15 Volume Series Includes These Videos: • ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS • AIDS • BIRTH CONTROL • CANCER • CHILD ABUSE • EATING DISORDERS • NUTRITION AND DIET • PEER PRESSURE • PUBERTY • SELF-ESTEEM • SEXUAL HARASSMENT • SPORTS MEDICINE • STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) • TEEN PREGNANCY • TEEN SEXUALITY Grades 5-9 To order other titles in this series, call 800-843-3620 S NUTRITION AND DIET R CHLESSINGE MEDIA A DIVISION OF LIBRARY VIDEO COMPANY® Themes 1.Good nutrition is important for the development and maintenance of a healthy body. 2.You must learn to make responsible choices regarding what you eat. TM Copyright © 1994 by Schlessinger Media, a division of Library Video Company • P.O. Box 580,Wynnewood, PA 19096 • 800-843-3620 All rights reserved • Program produced and directed by InVision Communications, Inc. 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