Tag: watch

Weight of the Nation assignment

Watch Weight of the Nation documentary, Consequences

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pEkCbqN4uo

Answer the below questions fully.

  • What is BMI? How is it defined? How is it used?
  • Describe the Bogalusa Heart Study. What did the Bogalusa Heart Study show?
  • What health issues and diseases that are related to obesity did the movie discuss?
  • What are the different influences/risk factors on rates of obesity?
  • The movie shows several cities in the US, and the maps of different neighborhoods and their rates of obesity and diabetes. Why do different neighborhoods have different rates of obesity?
  • Why is it important that more children are becoming overweight and obese?
  • Define ideal cardiovascular health. (7 factors) What are some health behaviors that can help people reach ideal cardiovascular health?
  • What is fatty liver disease? Why is it dangerous? How can it be prevented?

Unnatural Causes assignment

Go to the BMCC Library website – http://lib1.bmcc.cuny.edu/ and click on Databases. Select Video Databases, then select Kanopy Streaming Videos. If you are not on campus, you will have to log in with your BMCC log-on (the same credentials you use to log into computers on campus). When you are in the Kanopy database, search for Unnatural Causes. Your result will say Collection on it. Watch the movie titled In Sickness and in Wealth.  Answer the below questions fully.

  • Define social determinants of health from the book and from the movie. Give examples from the movie and your own life. Is the US the healthiest nation in the world? Why or why not?
  • What are some health behaviors that lead to illness?
  • What did the Whitehall study show about the connection between health and wealth? Define the wealth-health gradient.
  • How do the lives of Jim Taylor, Tondra Young, Corey Anderson and Mary Turner exemplify concepts like the wealth-health gradient and the importance of power and control? What does comparing data maps of disease rates in the different Louisville council districts show us? What might explain the differences in life expectancy, rates of disease and rates of excess death?
  • Describe examples from the film that illustrate how racism imposes an additional health burden on people of color. Give examples of both “everyday” racism (being treated unfairly) and “structural” racism (access to resources, power, status and wealth) and describe how these might affect health in different ways.
  • What kinds of employment, education, housing, or transportation polices do we need today to promote health equity? Think about some of the programs and policies that other industrialized countries in the world have. What obstacles and opportunities exist now in the United States of America? Are there any programs or policies that you have seen in your neighborhood or community?

Sleep

One important way to help deal with stress is by getting enough sleep. We are all familiar with how our bodies and minds feel when our sleep was interrupted or just too short – we feel clumsy, inattentive, moody, fatigued, unable to focus or remember.

There are several stages of sleep and two types of sleep.

Image showing the four stages of sleep in a sleep cycle: light sleep (when we are just falling asleep), main sleep (body and brain least active), REM sleep (dreaming), and slow-wave sleep (memory consolidation).

Throughout the night, we go through several sleep cycles. At the beginning of the night, we have deeper sleep – more non-REM sleep. Toward the end of the night, the sleep cycles consist mainly of REM sleep.

Image showing 8 hours of sleep with alternating REM and non-REM sleep.

Studies show the many benefits, both physical, mental and emotional, of getting enough sleep.

How can you get good sleep? Avoid eating, exercising or drinking caffeine too close to bedtime. Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Have a restful place to sleep – dark, quiet, and cool. Here are more ideas, from NPR – https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510336/sleepbetter .

As with everything, it is possible for sleep to be disordered. Read about sleep disorders here – https://medlineplus.gov/sleepdisorders.html

Stress management

It is possible to manage stress – some ideas can be found here https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/index.shtml and here https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/3-tips-to-manage-stress.

There are certain key ways to help manage the way you think that help with stress.