Making Healthy Choices 7 th Grade Choices

Making healthy choices can improve your level of wellness and increase your chance of living a long, healthy life. Think about your oldest living relative. How old is he/she? What choices have they made that may have helped them reach this age?

Recent discoveries in science and medicine, new drug treatments and advances in technology have helped reduce and in some cases eliminate many of the diseases that killed people hundreds of years ago. However…

In our society today, the way some people live their lives pose new dangers to their health. Many people develop illnesses, are involved in accidents, and die each year because of the decisions they make related to their health and safety.

Lifestyle Factors Experts have identified 7 habits (called lifestyle factors) that can make a difference in the quality of people’s lives and in their longevity (how long they will live). 1.Not misusing or abusing drugs and alcohol/drugs 2.Getting regular exercise almost everyday for at least 30 minutes 3.Maintaining a healthy weight 4.Eating a variety of nutritious food from My Pyramid 5.Eating breakfast EVERYDAY! 6.Getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night 7.Not smoking or using other tobacco products

So What’s the Secret?? The key to living a long, happy, and healthy life is PREVENTION. The purpose of this class is to provide students with some of the health information they need to make positive health choices to prevent unhealthy behaviors.

Leading Causes of Death in the U.S ______________________________________ Pnuemonia and Influenza Tuberculosis Inflammations of the Digestive Tract 2000 _____________________________________ Heart Disease Cancer Stroke

Diseases Pneumonia – Inflammation of the lungs Influenza – the “flu” an infectious respiratory disease caused by a virus. Tuberculosis – an infectious bacterial infection that affects the lungs. Inflammation of the Digestive Tract – ulcers, appendicitis, hepatitis.

Diseases Heart Disease – the build up of arterial plaque in the arteries around the heart. Cancer – a disease in which abnormal cells grow in an uncontrolled manner. Stroke – an interruption of blood flow to any part of the brain.

The average life expectancy in 1900 was only 47 years of age. Since heart disease, cancer and stroke tend to affect older people, many people in 1900 died before these causes of death would have started to impact them. Today the average life expectancy is 80 years.

“The Mysterious Murder of Sal Monella”

The Ending!! When Carmela got the results, she smiled. She thought to herself how glad Sal would have been to know that he dies of NATURAL CAUSES!!!

Questions… Who killed Sal Monella? How did his lifestyle contribute to his premature death? List as many factors as you can think of that may have contributed to his death. Which lifestyle decisions did Sal have control over?

In Conclusion… The decisions that you make and they habits you form as children and adolescents can carry over into adulthood and can affect the quality and length of your life. Making healthy decisions can SAVE YOUR LIFE!