Download Making Healthy Decisions Chapter 1

MAKING HEALTHY
DECISIONS
Chapter 1
WHAT IS HEALTH AND WELLNESS?

Health has long been defined as the absence of
illness.
 1900 - 47 was the avg. lifespan
 2010 – 77.5 avg. lifespan
We can shift our focus to the future
 Quality of life = Overall satisfaction with one’s life

Today health is defined as well being of your
body, mind, and relationships with other people.
 This broader view of health, in which overall
health is seen as a combination of physical,
mental, and social well-being is known as
Wellness.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEALTHY PERSON
1.
Physical Health - How well your body functions. Ability to
carry out ADL’s without becoming overly tired. A healthy
diet, regular medical check-ups, adequate sleep are all
important for attaining physical health.
2.
Mental Health - How good you feel about yourself and how
well you cope with everyday life. Ability to recognize and
learn from mistakes. Able to like yourself for whom you are.
3.
Social Health - How well you get along with others.
Ability to have loving relationships, respect others and their
opinions, and give and accept help from others
These three aspects of health are all interrelated,
meaning they are linked together in everything you
do. For example: Do you lose your temper with
family and friends when you are tired?
ILLNESS – WELLNESS CONTINUUM

A continuum is a gradual progression through
many stages between one extreme and another.
 The illness-wellness continuum is a model that
illustrates the full range of health between the
extremes of illness and wellness.
Poor
Q.O.L.
Illness
Wellness
High
Q.O.L.
Where you fall on the continuum depends on risk factors
IDENTIFYING HEALTH RISKS



Most of the decisions you face each day involve risks. The
risks you face determine where on the Illness-Wellness
continuum you fall.
Some risks are within your control, some we may not have
any control over.
A Risk Factor is any action or condition that increases the
likelihood of injury, disease, or negative outcome.
 Many different risk factors can affect a person’s health.
These fall into 3 categories:
1. Hereditary
2. Environmental
3. Behavioral
1. HEREDITARY
Risk factors you inherit from a parent or family.
Inherited traits determine things such a eye color,
height, and also whether a person will be affected
by certain disorders and disabilities.
 A disability is any physical or mental
impairment that limits or reduces a person’s
ability to participate in normal activities.


Examples: Muscular Dystrophy - Can not control
High Blood Pressure – Can control
2. ENVIRONMENTAL




Physical and social conditions surrounding a person,
and the influences they have on a person. If you are
aware of these risk factors you can take precautions
to avoid some of them.
Physical: Outdoor and indoor surroundings
Ex: Air, Water, and Sun
(outdoor)
Mold, smoke, asbestos (indoor)
Social: People around you. Others strongly
influence how we feel about yourselves, your beliefs,
and your ideas of how to get along with others.
Ex: Family, friends, classmates and others
Cultural: Beliefs and behaviors that is shared by a
group of people. Passed from generation to
generation.
Ex: Food, customs, and attitudes
3. BEHAVIORAL
 Risk
factors that result from actions or
decisions.
 Unlike many risk factors you alone decide
which behavioral risk factors you will face.
 When
determining if a risk is worth taking
you must make sure the Reward outweighs
the Risk
Can you think of any risks worth taking?
LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR AGES 15-24
REDUCING BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTORS


Department of Public Health has developed a plan to
confront the serious health risks we face each day
Health People 2000 has three main goals:
1.
Increase the number of healthy years
2.
Decrease health differences between different population groups
3.
Increase availability of health care to all Americans

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The Plan also addresses 300 specific target goals
(Ex. Double the number of people who use seat belts;
Decrease by 48% the number of people who smoke)
Plan emphasizes prevention, which is the practice of
healthy behaviors that keep a person free of disease
and other health problems.
Prevention is the key!