Chapter 1 Introduction to Health, Wellness, and Fitness

1. Chapter 1Introduction to Health, Wellness, and Fitness

2. Learning Objectives • Define health, wellness, and fitness • Examine the dimensions of wellness • Survey the major health challenges affecting Americans, as well as their underlying causes and risk factors • Identify key healthy-lifestyle behaviors • Assess your personal wellness status

3. Evolving Definitions of Health Q I haven’t been sick in over a year. Can I rate myself as healthy? • There are no universally accepted definitions • Health comes from the Old English word hoelth • “A state of being sound and whole” • WHO definition: emphasizes idea that health is more than just the absence of disease

4. Evolving Definitions of Health • Health: a condition with multiple dimensions that falls on a continuum from negative to positive health, and your position on the continuum is always changing. • Negative: illness and premature death • Positive: capacity to enjoy life and withstand life’s challenges

5. FIGURE 1-1 THE HEALTH CONTINUUM

6. Actively Working Toward Wellness Are health and wellness the same?(see page 3, “Actively Working Toward Wellness”, Text) • Wellness: more personalized concept than health • Key characteristics of wellness: • Clearly defined dimensions • Active process • Individual responsibility and choice are critical components • Reflects status of one’s perceptions of their own health and well-being

7. Discovering Dimensions of Wellness Can you be physically unfit but still be happy and social at the same time? • Six dimensions in our wellness: • Physical • Emotional • Intellectual • Social • Spiritual • Environmental

8. Discovering Dimensions of Wellness • PHYSICAL WELLNESS • The complete physical condition and functioning of the body • Both the visible aspects, such as how fit one looks, and those that are not, such as blood pressure and bone density • Reflected in your ability to accomplish your daily activities and to care for yourself • Regular physical activity and healthy eating are the foundation behaviors of physical wellness, but they are just a beginning

9. Discovering Dimensions of Wellness • Ask yourself these questions (Physical Wellness): • Do I get enough sleep? • Do I use alcohol and drugs responsibly? • Do I make intentional and responsible sexual choices? • Do I use sunscreen? • Do I practice safe driving? • Do I manage injuries and illnesses appropriately, practice self-care, and seek medical assistance when necessary?

10. Discovering Dimensions of Wellness • Physical fitness: the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue, and with ample energy to enjoy leisure-time pursuits and respond to emergencies • Closely relates to wellness and quality of life but also has measurable components

11. Discovering Dimensions of Wellness • For physical wellness, one should strive for a fitness level that meets one’s goals for daily functioning and recreational pursuits • Physical fitness usually requires exercise: planned, structured, repetitive body movements

12. FIGURE 1-2 THE RISK OF DYING PREMATURELY DECLINES AS PEOPLE BECOME PHYSICALLY ACTIVE

13. Discovering Dimensions of Wellness • EMOTIONAL WELLNESS • One’s ability to manage and express emotions in constructive and appropriate ways • Be aware of your thoughts and feelings • Monitor your reactions • Recognize strengths and limitations

14. Discovering Dimensions of Wellness • Qualities associated with emotional wellness: • Optimism • Enthusiasm • Trust • Self-confidence • Self-acceptance • Resiliency • Self-esteem

15. Discovering Dimensions of Wellness • INTELLECTUAL WELLNESS • The ability to think logically and solve problems in order to meet life’s challenges successfully • An active and engaged mind • People who enjoy a high level of intellectual wellness are creative, open to new ideas, and motivated to learn new information and new skills • Actively seek ways to challenge their minds and pursue intellectual growth

16. Discovering Dimensions of Wellness • SOCIAL WELLNESS • The ability to develop and maintain positive, healthy, satisfying interpersonal relationships and appropriate support networks • Family • Friends • Community

17. Discovering Dimensions of Wellness • SPIRITUAL WELLNESS • Having a set of guiding beliefs, principles, or values that provide meaning and direction in life • Compassion, forgiveness, altruism, tolerance, love • Sense of belonging to something greater than oneself • Sometimes considered a controversial part of wellness models, but essential to overall well-being • See “It’s Good to Be Good”, p.7., text.

18. Discovering Dimensions of Wellness • Environmental Wellness • One’s wellness and the conditionand livability of one’s surroundings are interdependent • Your own wellness depends on your surroundings • The environment could support your wellness or detract from it

19. Discovering Dimensions of Wellness • Other Wellness Dimensions • Financial wellness • Appropriate management of financial resources, a task that typically requires self-discipline and critical thinking skills • Occupational wellness • Satisfaction, fulfillment, and enrichment obtained through work

20. Integrating the Dimensions: Recognizing the Connections and Striving for Balance If you change your behavior for fitness, will that help other areas of your life too? • To improve wellness, you must integrate all the dimensions of wellness with the personal choices that affect your health and well-being • Don’t focus on a few dimensions and neglect the others

21. FIGURE 1-3 WELLNESS INTEGRATOR

22. Measures of Health and Wellness By what standards is health measured? • There is no single best measure of health • How long do people live? • How well do they live? • What do they die from? • What are the rates of specific diseases and injuries? • How much money is spent on health care?

23. Measures of Health and Wellness What are the chances of living to 100? • Life expectancy: the average number of years people born in a given year are expected to live • It depends on your age, location, and current health status • Life expectancy has increased dramatically • U.S. ranked 42nd overall in life expectancy • Why do people live longer than they used to? • Vaccinations, hygiene, less tobacco use, vehicle safety

24. Measures of Health and Wellness Why do women usually live longer than men? • In the developed world, women live 5–10 years longer • Behavioral and biological factors: • Men practice more risky behaviors • Higher accidents, assaults, and suicide rates in men • Women develop heart disease later in life

25. Measures of Health and Wellness Do you have to be super healthy to live longer? • QUALITY OF LIFE • Superior health helps, but it does not guarantee longevity—that is, a long life • The goal is not only more years but more healthy years • Years of healthy life

26. FIGURE 1-4 QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG AMERICANS: UNHEALTHY DAYS AND ACTIVITY LIMITATIONS DURING A 30-DAY PERIOD

27. The National Healthy People Initiative Has there been any substantial improvement in physical health in the past few years in the U.S., or are we all just getting less and less healthy? • Healthy People 2020 • Four overarching goals: • Attain high-quality longer lives • Achieve health equity • Create healthy social and physical environments • Promote quality of life and healthy development and behaviors across all life stages

28. Leading Causes of Death How does the United States compare to other countries in terms of disease? • In developing nations, people die from diseases and conditions related to lack of necessities and public health measures • In the U.S., the primary causes of death are linked to lifestyles • Most deaths in developed countries are due to noncommunicable disease (not caused by pathogens and not contagious)

29. FIGURE 1-5 CAUSES OF DEATH IN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING REGIONS OF THE WORLD

30. Leading Causes of Death It seems as if everyone has some kind of cancer. Is cancer now the leading cause of death for Americans? • Cancer is the leading cause of death for many age groups, but heart disease is still the number-one killer of Americans

31. Leading Causes of Death What is the leading cause of death for young adults like most college students? • The top causes of death in this age group are accidents, assault (homicide), and suicide

32. TABLE 1-1 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES, ALL AGES

33. FIGURE 1-6 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH AMONG YOUNG ADULTS

34. Leading Causes of Death What can be done to decrease the leading causes of death? • We must understand risk factors, factors that increase your susceptibility for the development, onset, or progression of a disease or injury • Some can be changed (smoking); others can’t (age)

35. Leading Causes of Death How many people die from obesity? • Obesity is an important underlying cause of many chronic diseases • Ranked near the top of actual causes of death in the United States

36. TABLE 1-2 ACTUAL CAUSES OF DEATH AMONG AMERICANS

37. Health and Wellness on Campus What are the main health and wellness concerns of college students? • Back pain and allergies top the list among college students • Most health problems for college students aren’t of the chronic variety • There is much room for improvement in multiple wellness dimensions

38. FIGURE 1-7 MOST COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS REPORTED BY COLLEGE STUDENTS

39. TABLE 1-3 ACADEMIC IMPACT OF SELECTED HEALTH PROBLEMS

40. Behavior Choices That Influence Wellness What basic things should I do every day or every week for a healthy lifestyle? • Be physically active • Choose a healthy diet • Maintain a healthy weight • Avoid tobacco in all forms • Manage stress and get adequate sleep • Limit alcohol consumption • Avoid risky behaviors More…

41. Behavior Choices That Influence Wellness What basic things should I do every day or every week for a healthy lifestyle? • Limit exposure to radiation and toxins • Seek appropriate medical care • Apply critical thinking skills as a health consumer • Cultivate relationships and social support • Nourish your spiritual side • Have fun!

42. FIGURE 1-8 FACTORS DETERMINING HEALTH AND WELLNESS STATUS

43. Other Factors That Influence Wellness Is my health mostly dependent on my genes and family history? • Genes are just one factor in disease risk and overall health status • Biology • Social and economic factors • Environmental factors • Access to health care • Public policies and interventions

44. Wellness: What Do you Want for Yourself—Now and in the Future? What does it feel like to be well? • Energy, vitality, curiosity, empowerment, enjoyment—a high quality of life • How do you rate your own levels of health and wellness today? End of Chapter 01 Slides