The next outbreak? We’re not ready. Why were we considered “lucky” with the Ebola outbreak? 1. Heroism by medical workers 2. Nature of the virus- not airborne, contagious when people are bed rest 3. Did not get to urban areas Building a response system 1. Strong health system in poor countries 2. Medical reserve corps 3. Pair medical with military for logistical purposes 4. Germ games- Role play 5. Research and development- vaccines and diagnostics Ebola served as a wakeup call, early warning. Bill Gates

Who is responsible for your health? Genetics, heredity; Parents or guardian contribute as you grow and develop

What is health? Health is defined as the state of being free from illness or injury. Health goes far beyond that. Health is multi-dimensional. Health is an integrated method of functioning that is oriented toward maximizing personal potential. When we pay attention to all 3 parts which makeup the Health Triangle, we can achieve a healthy balanced lifestyle. What are some ways you can be physically, mentally/emotionally, and socially healthy?

Physical Health The condition of a person’s body. Examples of maintaining a physically healthy body include eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting 8-10 hours of sleep nightly. Ability to carry out daily tasks, develop cardiovascular fitness, muscular fitness, maintain adequate nutrition and proper weight, avoid abusing drugs and alcohol, and avoid tobacco products.

Mental-Emotional Health The condition of a person’s mind and the ways that a person expresses feelings. Maintaining Mental-Emotional Health: reading, having challenging conversations, and expressing feelings in healthful ways The ability to control stress and express emotions appropriately and comfortably. Ability to recognize and accept feelings and not to be defeated by setbacks and failures.

Family-Social Health The condition of a person’s relationships with family members and with others. The ability to interact successfully with people and one’s personal environment. This component involves the ability to develop and maintain intimacy with other and have respect and tolerance for those with differences in opinions and beliefs. Maintaining Family-Social Health: expressing yourself clearly and listening when others speak

Feeling Imbalanced? Physical health, mental-emotional health, and family-social health are interrelated. When one aspect suffers, the Health Triangle begins to lose its balance. As a result, your health status will diminish.

Factors Affecting Health Status Health knowledge Decisions a person makes Access to health information, products, and services Advocacy skills Behaviors a person practices Heredity Ways in which a person responds to influences on health from culture, media, and technology Quality of the environment in which a person lives Communication skills Random events that occur in a person’s life and how that person deals with risk Page 6 Make a poster identifying the factor affecting health status. Define and give examples.

How would you define wellness in two words max? The Wellness Scale How would you define wellness in two words max? Health is also referred to as wellness. Wellness implies that individuals engage in attitudes and behaviors that enhance quality of life and maximal personal potential. The wellness scale is a scale that shows the range in quality of life. The scale is a continuum, meaning a range or series of things that are slightly different from each other and that exist between two different possibilities. The extremes are quite distinct.

Where are you on the scale? Let’s take a look at the ten factors that affect health status. Rate your wellness by considering where you might be on the Wellness Scale. Even though you cannot control some factors of your health and wellness, such as heredity, you can control other factors that will have long-term effects on your health status. Optimal wellness is something you can work toward using the factors that affect health status because you are ultimately responsible for your health and wellness.

Being a Health Advocate A health advocate makes things happen.

Key Terms Advocacy: the process of supporting a cause. Health-Advocacy Skills: skills that are used to influence the health behavior and decisions of others and to advance specific health-related beliefs and concerns. Health Advocate: a person who uses skills to influence the health behavior and decisions of others for the advancement of health-related beliefs and concerns.

How to Become a Health Advocate Step 1: Select a health-related concern. Step 2: Gather reliable information. Step 3: Identify your purpose and target audience. Step 4: Develop a convincing and appropriate message. Step 1: Often teens select advocacy interests for which they may have a strong personal connection. Step 2: Advocates often volunteer to help or provide service for the group they are interested in. What does volunteer mean? A volunteer is a person who provides a service without pay. Step 3: Your purpose can be to educate people about a specific health problem, to get laws passed, and/or to motivate others to advocate for the cause. Step 4: Focus on your purpose and target audience (Step 3). Ask yourself, how can I have the most influence over others?

Advocating Against Drinking and Driving Step 1: Close friend was killed by a drunk driver. Drinking and driving is Miguel’s health-related concern. Step 2: Gathering data on traffic fatalities caused by teens that drink alcohol and drive. Contacts SADD to learn more about this organization. Step 3: Miguel wants to influence teens not to drink and drive. This will reduce their risk of being in a fatal accident involving alcohol. Step 4: Miguel joins SADD. He participates in a program to bring awareness to other teens. He makes posters to display at school and writes morning announcements. Miguel

Volunteering Volunteering your time and talent is a powerful way to improve the quality of life for you and others. You derive many benefits when you volunteer: meet new people, develop new skills, may add to your self-respect and health status.

Where do I begin? Assess your interests, skills and talents Identify organizations Call or visit Make final preparations Set high expectations Can’t find an organization? Keep a log Avoid burnout Release some beta-endorphins! List your interests, skills, and talents. How much time will you have to spend volunteering? Ask your parents/guardians/teachers, internet, call a volunteer center. Call to express interest and ask questions like, “What does the organization or agency do? What would be my tasks and responsibilities?” Discuss schedule and tasks, arrange for transportation. Be on time, dress appropriately, follow rules and guidelines, and complete assigned tasks in a timely manner. Think of ways you can help your community. Make an action plan. Get others involved. Description of tasks, discuss ways you are impacting others, discuss how you are benefitting, what could be improved? Take on too much. Volunteer burnout is a loss of enthusiasm about volunteering that results from feeling overwhelmed. Signs: stressed, bored, or tired Acts of giving stimulate the brain to release beta-endorphins, substances produced in the brain that create a feeling of well-being.

Health Advocacy Project Advocating for a health topic you are passionate about. Presentation and Brochure Let’s look at an example.