Chapter 1
Understanding Health
and Wellness
Total Health
Being healthy is more than just not
being sick. It also involves feeling
good about yourself and getting along
with other people.
Wellness and the
Health Triangle
Chapter 1 Lesson 1
Questions to Ponder
• What does being healthy really mean?
• What do I need to know to be
healthy?
• What is the difference between
health and wellness?
The Foundations of Health
Health – is a combination of physical,
mental and social well being.
The Health Triangle
The balancing of all parts of your health.
•
Physical Health –body function
•
Mental and Emotional Health-how
you feel about yourself
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
•
Exercise/Sleep
Cleanliness/Hygiene
Nutrition/Eating habits
Avoiding disease/check-ups
Liking who you are
Meeting the demands of daily life
Expressing emotions
Coping with problems/stress
Spiritual health-sense of meaning;
having a strong sense of values
Social Health-relationships
–
–
–
–
Getting along with others
Making friends
Giving and receiving support
Maintaining healthy relationships
Wellness
Wellness is a state of overall well being or total health. It involves making
choices and decisions and practicing good health behaviors everyday.
The Health Continuum: a sliding scale that spans the
complete range of health from a low level or loss
of health and wellness to a high level of wellness
Premature Death
Chronic
Disorders
Lack of Energy
Inattention
Minor aches
and pains
Loss of Health and Wellness
Free from aches
and pains
High level of
energy; feeling
of well-being
Moderate level
of energy
High Level of Health
Improved Health and Wellness
Taking Responsibility for
your Health
Chapter 1 - Lesson 2
Questions to Ponder
• How do heredity, environment and
culture affect my health?
• Is my environment healthy?
• How do behavior and attitude affect
my health?
• It what ways does media and
technology affect my health?
• How can I develop habits to improve
my health?
Influences on your Health
 Heredity- The passing of traits
from your parents as a result of the
transmission of genes.
•
•
•
•
Hair color
Eye color
Body type
Diabetes risk
Environment- everything in your surroundings.
A. Physical: places you live
•neighborhood and school
•air and water quality
•parks and recreational facilities
•libraries and medical care
B. Social: all of the people around you.
•
•
•
family
peers
community members
C. Culture: collective beliefs, customs
and behaviors of a group of people
•
•
•
language
food and traditions
spiritual beliefs
Attitude- The way you view situations
•Optimist=positive “glass half full”
• Pessimist=negative “glass half empty”
•If you believe that adopting healthful behaviors
will influence your health in positive ways, then you
are more likely to make good decisions about
healthy behaviors
Behavior- the choices you make
•You have total control over your own
behavior
• You can choose to avoid unhealthy
behaviors in favor of healthful behaviors
Media and technology- methods for
communicating information and how the
information is delivered
•Radio
•Television
•Newspapers
•Magazines
•Internet
Health sites on the internet
Is the information written
by a health professional?
Is the site trying to sell you
something? Is the site up
to date and the information
current?
Celebrities such as actresses and athletes
(Do they have unhealthy eating habits to
maintain their figure? Do they use steroids
to win? Do they drive fast or use drugs and
never seem to face any consequences?
Health Risks and Your
Behavior
Chapter 1 - Lesson 3
Questions to Ponder
• What are some behaviors that put
your health at risk?
• Do your friends engage in risky
behaviors?
• Does anyone around you participate in
a risky behavior that may put your
health at risk?
• What are some strategies you can use
to avoid health risks?
• Can risks you take now have an impact
on your health in the future?
Identifying Health Risks
Risk behaviors- actions that potentially threaten
your health or the health of others
•Tobacco use
•Unhealthy diet
•Alcohol and drug use
•Inadequate physical activity
•Sexual behaviors that may result in
STD’s, HIV or unplanned pregnancy
•Behaviors that contribute to unintentional
injuries and violence
Consequences- short or long term
impacts on your health
Short term consequences of smoking:
bad breath, yellow teeth, stinky clothes
Long term consequences of smoking:
rotted teeth, lung cancer, emphysema
Cumulative Risks-related risks that increase
in effect with each added risk
Example 1: Eating an occasional meal at a fast
food restaurant probably won’t permanently affect
your overall health. However, if you eat that food
regularly and are not physically active most days,
the negative effects accumulate over time and may
lead to serious health problems like obesity,
diabetes or heart disease.
Example 2: Driving at a high rate of speed is very
dangerous. When the driver then attempts to change
the radio station it adds to the risk. Speeding and
changing the station while talking on a cell phone
increases the risk even more . The more risk
behaviors you participate in, the greater your chance
of negative consequences.
How to avoid or reduce risks
You can protect your health and minimize the possibility of
risk by practicing positive health behaviors.
•Automatic safety behaviors- things you do without giving it too much
thought, more of a habit: wearing a seatbelt, wearing a helmet while riding
a bike, checking the depth of water before diving into a pool
•Prevention behaviors- taking steps to keep something from happening
or getting worse: getting regular medical checkups, going to the dentist
•Abstinence behaviors- deliberate decision to avoid high risk behaviors
or situations: choosing to not use alcohol or other drugs, not smoking or
hanging around where people are smoking, choosing to not have sex, not
walking alone at night, not posting personal information on social websites
•When you abstain from high-risk behaviors, you show that you value
your well being. It also demonstrates your maturity by showing that
you can take responsibility for your health and play an active role in
maintaining your wellness.
Lifestyle factors influence your wellness
Lifestyle factors are personal habits or behaviors related to the
way a person lives. People who practice positive health habits
regularly tend to be healthier and live longer.
Lifestyle factors that can improve a
person’s level of health include:
Getting 8 hours of sleep
Eating a healthy breakfast
Eating a variety of nutritious foods
Being physically active for 30-60 minutes
most days of the week
Maintaining a healthy weight
Abstaining from smoking and using other
tobacco products
Abstaining from the use of alcohol and
other drugs
Remember that you have control over your
lifestyle. By making the best possible
decisions for yourself, you can achieve a high
level of wellness now and into adulthood.
Becoming Health Literate
Health literacy is a person’s capacity to learn about and
understand basic health information and services, and to use
these resources to promote one’s health and wellness.
• Know where to find health information
• Ability to decide if the information is correct
• Able to assess the risks and benefits of products
and treatments
• Figure out how much medicine to take
• Ability to understand test results
Qualities of a health literate individual include being:
•
•
•
•
being a critical thinker and problem solver (makes responsible decisions)
A responsible, productive citizen (shows respect for self and others)
A self-directed learner (searches for and evaluates information)
An effective communicator (able to express knowledge in a variety of ways)
Steps to Responsible Health
Find out how much you know about your health.
Get good, reliable information on how to
stay healthy or improve your health.
Take action. Those who practice good
health habits or lifestyle factors,
appear to live longer and be happier.