Influences on Health and Wellness Lesson 2 8 th Grade

Heredity and YOUR Health Heredity is the passing down of traits from a parent to child *A trait is a characteristic that a person has. (Example: eye color, hair, height, skin color) *Some health conditions can also be hereditary.

Heredity continued… *Some kids inherit a disease or condition called cystic fibrosis (CF), which is a disease of the lungs and digestive system.

Environmental Influences Your Environment is everything around you, including things you cannot see. Many factors in the environment can affect your health. (Example: air may contain particles that make you cough or sneeze or have an allergic response.) Microscopic organisms can make you ill when they invade your body. How do we prevent that?!!!!

Better and Cleaner Today Here are some examples that will help protect your body from environmental influences: *Dispose of trash properly to prevent pollution. *Walk, ride a bike, or use mass transit to reduce the number of cars on the road. * Start recycling program for paper, plastic, and aluminum cans to save natural resources. **No matter where you live, you can help your environment. Any other ideas to help protect your health from environmental influences??

Relationships can Influence My Health?? Say Word?! Family and amigo(a)s are MAJOR influences on you and your health. Your parents teach you how to be responsible for your health by informing you about: - nutrition, hygiene, and exercise Your peers also influence your health. A peer is someone who is the same age or often are the same grade as you and who has similar interests. Peers are important to the social health because they influence what you do. Maybe by affecting what classes you take and what activities you will do at school.

Peers continued… Friends can either have a negative or positive effect on your health. (Example: Your friends can be a positive source of support when you have problems and need someone to talk to.)

Media?! The Media is a MAJOR source of information about health. Could be TV, newspaper, Mag., Billboard. Some media messages give you information that will benefit you, like the gatorade commercials. Not all media messages are beneficial or should be believed. Many can be harmful to your health, such as diet pills that promise you they will make you lose a lot of weight. Ever asked yourself how can they make this happen? Diet pills can increase heart rate, which causes the heart to over work itself when you do an exercise or activity. And sometime these pills can suppress your appetite and cause you not to eat.

Vocabulary for Lesson 2 Heredity Peer Trait Environment Media