Section 2

6 Chapter 1

ObjectivesBefore class begins, write the objectiveson the board. Have students copy theobjectives into their notebooks at thestart of class.

Ask students to read the myth andrespond to the writing prompt. Ask afew students to share their responses.Make a list of possible sources on theboard. Briefly discuss the reliability ofthe sources students mention. Use thediscussion to introduce factors thatcan influence health.

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1. Focus

Warm-Up Myth/Fact

Identifying Health Risks

Q: My parents are overweight. Does thatmean I will be overweight as an adult?

A: Not necessarily. Even if heredity had aninfluence on how much your parentsweigh, it was not the only influence. Thefoods people learn to like as children, howmuch they eat, and their level of physicalactivity all have an effect on their weight.

You cannot control your heredity, but youcan control your behavior—what you eat,how much you eat, and how physicallyactive you are. Use your concern aboutweight to make healthy decisions aboutthose factors you can control. But do notoverreact and starve yourself because youare afraid of gaining weight.

TEENS Are Asking . . .

6 Chapter 1

IdentifyingHealth Risks

Section 2

Objectives� Identify factors that can

influence a person’shealth.

� Describe three strategiesyou can use to evaluaterisk factors.

Vocabulary• heredity• gender• environment• culture• media• habit• risk factor

Influences on HealthTwo babies are born on the same day in the same city in the United States.Which baby will live longer? Which will have a higher quality of life? Toanswer these questions, you would need to consider the different factorsthat influence a person’s health. Factors that can influence health includeheredity, environment, media, technology, healthcare, and behavior.

Heredity To some extent, your level of health is already determinedat the time you are born. This is because of your all the traitsthat are passed biologically from parent to child. Traits that you inheritcan affect your health. Your skin color, for example, can affect your risk ofdeveloping skin cancer. With fair skin, you have a greater likelihood ofdeveloping skin cancer than if your skin is dark. Another example is breastcancer. Some women inherit a higher risk for this disease.

Even if you inherit a risk factor, you can lower your overall risk byavoiding other risk factors. If you have fair skin, you can be sure to usesunscreen. Women who inherit a risk factor for breast cancer can choosenot to smoke because smoking is another risk factor for breast cancer.

Another part of your heredity is your —whether you are maleor female. Gender can influence your health because risk factors may varybetween males and females.

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Myth Using a cell phone puts a person at risk for developing cancer.

Fact Cell phone use does not increase the risk of developing cancer. However, cell phone use while driving does greatly increase the risk of a car crash.

Where do you think people get their information about health risks? How reliable are those sources of information?

Sensitive Issues For students with health problems,the role of personal behavior inhealth may be a sensitive issue. Makesure students understand that theycannot control all the factors thatinfluence their health, but they canhave considerable control over theirbehavior.

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Making Healthy Decisions 7

Less Proficient Readers Pair less proficient with more proficientreaders, and ask pairs to make graphicorganizers of factors that influence health.They can use any type of graphic organizer

(e.g., outline, concept map, spider diagram)that suits the material. Have studentsinclude examples of each factor that influences health.

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Physical Environment The is all of the physical andsocial conditions that surround a person and can influence that person’shealth.Your physical environment includes both your outdoor and indoorsurroundings. The quality of the air you breathe and the water you drinkare important to your health. So is your exposure to disease-causingorganisms, to loud noise, and to radiation from the sun and other sources.

Being aware of potential risks in your physical environment can helpyou protect your health. If you know that breathing in the smoke exhaledby a smoker increases your risk of lung cancer, you can try to avoidsecond-hand smoke. If you know that loud noises damage your hearing,you may be more likely to keep your music at less-than-harmful levels.

Social Environment Your social environment includes the peopleyou spend time with—your family, friends, classmates, and other peoplein your community. Most people learn their first basic health lessons fromtheir family. Wash your hands before you eat. Brush your teeth beforegoing to bed. Look both ways before crossing the street. Family membersalso can have a major influence on your mental and emotional health.

Your friends can influence your health in many ways. Friends whotake too many risks can put a lot of pressure on you to do the same. Yoursocial environment is healthier when you choose friends who show con-cern for their own health and yours.

Culture A person’s culture is part of his or her social environment.is the beliefs and patterns of behavior that are shared by a group

of people and passed from generation to generation. The group may be anation, a region of a country, or an ethnic group. Some aspects of culturecan influence your health. One example is the foods you choose to eat. Insome cultures people eat little or no meat; in others, meat is the main partof the diet. Another example is the way you show your emotions. In somecultures, public displays of emotion are typical; in others, people tend tokeep their emotions private.

How do your friends affect your physical, emotional, and social health?

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Culture

environment

PhysicalEnvironment

Culture

SocialEnvironment

FIGURE 3 Your physical and socialenvironments, including culture,influence your health. Relating Cause and Effect Usethe examples in the photographs toexplain how the environment couldaffect a person’s health.

Reading/Note Taking 1-2

Adapted Reading/Note Taking 1-2

Influences on Health

Visual Learning: Figure 3Have students look at the photographsand read the caption. Before students try to answer the caption question, askvolunteers to describe the content ofeach photograph. Encourage students tothink of other ways they could illustratethese influences on health. Caption Answer Sample answer: A person who listens to loud music candamage his or her hearing. Spendingtime with friends and family membersprovides opportunities to share yourthoughts and feelings with people whocare about you.

Cultural ConnectionHave students identify differencesamong cultures that they think canhave an influence on health. For example, in some cultures people tendto eat whole-grain breads or includeless red meat in their diet. Attitudestoward the expression of emotions ortoward physical activity can vary amongcultures.

Allow students to answer this question in their

private journals.

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8 Chapter 1

Chapter 1, Section 2

Building Health SkillsAnalyzing Influences Have studentsselect a medium other than televisionand write a paragraph explaining howthis medium can be either a positive or a negative influence on health. Askstudents to include specific examples intheir paragraphs.

Building Media LiteracyExplain how having unreliable healthinformation can be as dangerous ashaving no information. Then, havegroups of students find a few generalhealth Web sites that they think arereliable. Ask each group to share itsWeb sites and explain why they chosethese sites. Discuss which reasons aremost valid. Based on the discussion,have students make a list of guidelinesfor selecting reliable health Web sites.

Visual Learning: Figure 4Caption Answer Sample answer: Amedium such as television can supplyuseful health information, but reduce aperson’s level of physical fitness; X raysare a technology that allows doctors toprovide better treatment for injuries;having access to braces can preventfuture dental problems; a risky behavior,such as ignoring a safety warning, canlead to injuries or even death.

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Focus On ISSUESFocus On ISSUES

Debate: Technology and HealthSelect two groups of students to present adebate about the influences of technologyon health. Have one group brainstorm afew positive influences of technology onhealth (e.g., improved access to healthinformation; various life-saving medicaltechnologies). Have the other group brain-storm negative influences (e.g., less exercise

due to labor-saving devices and motorvehicles; exposure to pollutants and toxinsfrom motor vehicles, power plants, and factories). Give the two groups a chance todebate the issue. Ask the other studentswhether they think the positive influencesoutweigh the negative influences.

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8 Chapter 1

Media How much time each week do you spend watching television,listening to music, playing video games, or going to the movies? Do youread magazines or newspapers? What all these activities have in commonis that they involve media. are forms of communication that pro-vide news and entertainment. You may not realize that media can have apositive or negative influence on your health.

Think about television, for example. An average teen spends about 20 hours a week watching television. How can television have a positiveinfluence on your health? You might receive useful information from apublic service announcement or from a news report on a health topic. Youmight learn about a medical issue from a television series or talk show.

How can television have a negative influence on your health? Thehours you spend in front of the television are hours that you are not exer-cising. You also are not relating to other family members or taking partin community projects. Some characters on television shows may be poorrole models who indulge in risky behavior. Advertisers may present mis-leading claims about health products they want you to buy.

Technology Advances in technology help doctors to detect healthproblems sooner and improve the quality of life for patients. Many peopleuse sites on the Internet to learn about health topics that interest them.This approach requires caution and good judgment. Some Web sites pro-vide accurate information about health. Others are filled with misleadingor self-serving information. Be sure to consider the source of the infor-mation on a Web site and the purpose of the site. What is the goal of thepeople posting the information, and what are their qualifications?

Spending many hours on the computer also limits the time for otheractivities, such as exercise. If you use the computer to meet new people,there is the risk that you will connect with someone dangerous.

Media

FIGURE 4 The photographs showdifferent influences on health.Relating Cause and Effect Usethe examples in the photographsto explain how media, technology,healthcare, and behavior can affecta person’s health.

Media

Technology

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Class DiscussionInvite the school nurse to class to discussthe role of a school nurse in providinghealthcare to students. Provide a box forstudents to submit questions in advancein case there are questions they wouldnot feel comfortable asking in class.

Building Health SkillsAdvocacy As a class, identify a fewunhealthy habits (for example, eating“junk” food, not exercising, staying uplate). Then split the class into smallgroups. Have each group pick oneunhealthy habit and make a list ofexcuses a person might offer for notbeing able to break the habit. Then, askthe students to think of arguments theycould use to counter each excuse.

Sample answer: because theydo not expect bad things to

happen to them or they do not thinkabout the consequences of an action

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English Language LearnersPair English learners with more proficientreaders. Have them look at the sign in theFigure 4 photograph labeled “Behavior.”After the proficient reader helps the Englishlearner understand any unfamiliar words,they should discuss the reason for the sign.

Then, ask the pairs to identify other typesof warnings about risks, such as trafficsigns or warning labels on products.Challenge students to design their ownwarning labels or signs for a particularhealth risk.

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Healthcare Your health is influenced by the healthcare that is avail-able to you and your family. Healthcare includes the medical servicesprovided by doctors, nurses, dentists, and therapists. Healthcare alsoincludes the places these people work, such as clinics and hospitals.

Some factors increase the likelihood that a person will take advantageof available healthcare. The service must be in a location that is easy to getto. The service should be open on weekends or evenings for people whocan’t take time off from work. Finally, people need some form of healthinsurance so that they can afford the costs of necessary checkups andtreatments, including medicines.

Behavior Suppose that a friend came up to you and said,“A group ofus are going swimming tonight at the lake after dark. Be ready at eight—I’ll pick you up.”What would you do? Would you go along without givingthings a second thought? Or would you stop and think about the risksinvolved? Of all the influences on your health, the decisions you makeand the actions you take often have the greatest impact on your health.

Sometimes behaviors become habits. A is a behavior that isrepeated so often that it becomes almost automatic. For example, you mayhave a habit of brushing your teeth after meals. That is a healthy habitbecause it helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease. You may also havea habit of staying up late watching television. That is not a healthy habitbecause it reduces the number of hours available for sleep. When you losesleep, it is difficult to concentrate the next day. A repeated lack of sleep canmake it hard for your body to fight off an illness or repair an injury.

Unhealthy habits can be broken. When you find that you keep repeat-ing a behavior that may threaten your health, you can set a goal to changeyour behavior. Your goal should include a plan for changing your habit.Such a plan often works best when you involve friends or family membersfor support.

Why do you think that teenagers tend to takemore risks than any other age group?

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10 Chapter 1

Chapter 1, Section 2

Evaluating Health Risks

Visual Learning: Figure 5Caption Answer He can control howmuch sun exposure he receives. He can-not control the color of his skin or otherhereditary risk factors for skin cancer.

Class DiscussionTo make sure students understand themeaning of short-term versus long-term,use examples of behaviors that can haveboth short- and long-term consequences.For example, a short-term consequenceof unprotected exposure to sunlight is apainful sunburn; a possible long-termconsequence is skin cancer.

Cooperative LearningDivide the class into small groups. Haveeach group brainstorm a list of risks andbenefits for participating in a teamsport at school. Remind students to consider all aspects of health: physicalhealth, mental health, emotionalhealth, and social health. As groupsshare their ideas with the class, compilea list of risks and benefits on the board.

Visual Learning: Figure 6Ask students to read the benefits andrisks and decide which are most impor-tant. Call on volunteers to answer thecaption question. Challenge students tomake risk-benefit charts for anotherhealth-related decision.Caption Answer Sample answer: no,because the driver would be too inexperienced

Allow students to answer this question in their

private journals.

Online Activity Use the Web Code toaccess an online activity about risk factors. Have students complete theWeb activity.

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PHSchool.com 10 Chapter 1

FIGURE 5 Spending time outsideon a sunny day could increase aperson’s risk of developing skincancer. Observing Which riskfactor for skin cancer can thisperson control? Which risk factorcan’t he control?

Evaluating Health RisksShould you try the latest fad diet to lose weight? How do you decide? Oneway to think about the decision is in terms of its risk factors. A is any action or condition that increases the likelihood of injury, disease,or other negative outcome. For example, one risk factor of a fad diet isthat it may not include all the foods that your body needs.

There are three ways you can evaluate a risk factor. Consider bothshort- and long-term consequences. Decide whether you can controlthe risk factor. Analyze the possible benefits and risks of a decision.

Short- and Long-Term Consequences Some behaviors canhave an immediate effect on your health. You take a shortcut through anunfamiliar yard and end up with a nasty case of poison ivy. You don’tbuckle your seatbelt and get injured in a car crash.

With some risky behaviors, the consequences are not immediate.Suppose you eat a mainly fast-food diet, which is high in fats, sugar, andsalt. People tell you that your diet increases your risk of developing heartdisease and diabetes later in life. But you feel healthy and energetic. Sowhy not wait until you are older to change your behavior? First, it can bevery difficult to change habits that have existed for years and, even if youdo change your eating habits later in life, you may not be able to repair thedamage you have done to your body.

List three of your current habits that could havenegative long-term consequences.

Risk Factors You Cannot Control A friend invites you to thebeach.You are worried because you have fair skin.You can’t control the colorof your skin or other risk factors that are part of your heredity. Nor can youcontrol all the risk factors in your environment. For example, you may haveless emotional support if someone you are close to gets ill and dies.

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risk factor

For: More on risk factorsVisit: PHSchool.comWeb Code: ctd-1012

FYI !FYI !Absolute Risk and Relative RiskAbsolute risk describes the chance that anevent will happen in a certain time period.For example, an American male has a 17 percent chance of developing prostatecancer during his lifetime. The absolute riskthat he will develop this cancer within ayear varies. It is lower in young men andhigher in older men.

Relative risk is used to describe the impact of a risk factor on the risk of developing adisease. Relative risk is based on a comparisonbetween a group (e.g., male smokers) and acontrol group (male nonsmokers). Men whosmoke are about 23 times more likely todevelop lung cancer than men who do notsmoke.

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3. Assess

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1. all the traits that are passed biologicallyfrom parent to child

2. environment, media, technology, health-care, and behavior

3. Sample answer: a behavior that is repeatedso often that it becomes almost automatic;brushing teeth after meals (healthy habit);eating “junk” food (unhealthy habit)

4. any action or condition that increases thelikelihood of injury, disease, or other negative outcome

5. consider both short- and long-term conse-quences, decide whether you can controlthe risk factor, and analyze the possiblebenefits and risks of a decision

EvaluateThese assignments can help you assessstudents’ mastery of the section content.

Section 2 ReviewAnswers appear below.

Teaching Resources• Practice 1-2• Section 1-2 Quiz

ReteachHave students write paragraphs thataddress section objectives and correctlyuse all the vocabulary terms.

Enrich

Teaching Resources• Enrich 1-2

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6. Sample answer: Risks are unseenhazards and no lifeguard; benefitsare exercise and being with friends.

7. Answers should show that studentsunderstand how physical and socialenvironments can influence health.

8. It is time not spent on exercise andfamily activities.

Section 2 Review

Section 2 Review

Key Ideas and Vocabulary1. What does the term heredity mean?

2. List five factors other than heredity that caninfluence your health.

3. What is a habit? Describe one healthy habit andone unhealthy habit.

4. In relation to health, how is a risk factor defined?

5. List three ways to evaluate a risk factor?

Critical Thinking6. Applying Concepts List the risks and benefits of

swimming in a lake at night with friends.

7. Evaluating Do you think that your physicalenvironment or your social environment is a moreimportant influence on your health? Explain.

8. Predicting How could spending a lot of timeplaying video games have a negative influence on someone’s health?

HomeHealth at

Identifying Health Risks Identify three riskfactors that affect the health of your family. Thinkabout risks related to heredity, environment, andbehavior. Then pick one of the risk factors anddescribe some ways that your family could reducethis health risk.

Risk Factors You Can Control So what risk fac-tors can you control? You can control risk factors that arerelated to your behavior. For example, you can control yourexposure to ultraviolet radiation in sunlight and in tanningbooths, which will reduce your risk of developing skincancer. Or you can maintain close relationships with manypeople. That way, if one of your relationships ends, you willstill have emotional support. These are other examples ofrisk factors over which you have control.

� Your level of physical activity

� Your intake of fat, sugar, or salt

� Your use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs

� Your use of protective gear, such as seat belts

� Your choice of friends

You may be able to control some risk factors in your environment.For example, you can join with others in your community to find solu-tions for problems such as pollution or lack of open spaces.

Analyzing Benefits and Risks There is no such thing as a risk-free life. Most of the things you do involve some degree of risk. Withouttaking risks and trying new things, it would be impossible to grow as aperson. So how can you decide which risks are worth taking and which arenot? You need to weigh the risks of an action against the possible benefits.

Suppose that a friend who only has a learner’s permit offers to driveyou home so you won’t miss your curfew. What are the risks and benefitsof accepting this offer of a ride? You can use a risk-benefit chart like theone in Figure 6 to help you decide if the benefits outweigh the risks.

Making Healthy Decisions 11

Home before Inexperienced drivercurfew crashes car

Avoid argument Parents are angrywith parents about decision

Show confidence Friend loses permitin friend’s skills or is arrested

Benefits Risks

Benefits and RisksAnalyzing

FIGURE 6 A risk-benefit chart can help you decide whether toaccept a ride from a friend whodoesn’t have a license. Making Judgments Would you accept a ride with a driver who has only a learner’s permit?Why or why not?

Health at Home

Identifying Health Risks Studentsshould record their responses to thisactivity in their private journals.Suggest that students share theirideas with other family members.

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