7th Grade Fitness Gram Fall

The FITNESSGRAM physical fitness assessment is based not on athletic ability, but on good health. No matter what we choose to do when we grow up, we will live happier, more productive lives if we are healthy-- and physical fitness is vital to overall health. The FITNESSGRAM test includes a number of different assessments because fitness has multiple components. Some of us may have good muscular fitness but need improvement on aerobic fitness. By having a complete report, we will know more about our overall level of physical condition and how we can improve it.

Based on your scores (do NOT have to share them!) describe two areas of fitness you would like to work on improving throughout the semester. Based on your areas of improvement you will need to set 2 goals that you want to accomplish by the end of 3rd quarter. When setting and establishing your goals (2) please be specific in what you want to accomplish. (Goals need to be measurable) Also, list 2 ideas or ways (exercises or activities you will be doing) to help you work toward meeting your goals.
Your responses should be in complete sentences. Set your goals high...but not impossible!

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Eating disorders are so common in America that 2 out of every 100 students will struggle with one.

Eating disorders are more than just going on a diet to lose weight or trying to make sure you exercise every day. They're extremes in eating behavior — the diet that never ends and gradually gets more restrictive.

The most common types of eating disorder are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (usually called simply "anorexia" and "bulimia"). But other food-related disorders, like binge eating disorders, body image disorders, and food phobias, are showing up more frequently than they used to.

Anorexia
People with anorexia have an extreme fear of weight gain and a distorted view of their body size and shape. As a result, they can't maintain a normal body weight. Some people with anorexia restrict their food intake by dieting, fasting, or excessive exercise. They hardly eat at all — and the small amount of food they do eat becomes an obsession.

Other people with anorexia do something called binge eating and purging, where they eat a lot of food and then try to get rid of the calories by forcing themselves to vomit, using laxatives, or exercising excessively.

Bulimia
Bulimia is similar to anorexia. With bulimia, a person binge eats (eats a lot of food) and then tries to compensate in extreme ways, such as forced vomiting or excessive exercise, to prevent weight gain. Over time, these steps can be dangerous.

To be diagnosed with bulimia, a person must be binging and purging regularly, at least twice a week for a couple of months. Binge eating is different from going to a party and "pigging out" on pizza, then deciding to go to the gym the next day and eat more healthfully. People with bulimia eat a large amount of food (often junk food) at once, usually in secret. The person typically feels powerless to stop the eating and can only stop once he or she is too full to eat any more. Most people with bulimia then purge by vomiting, but may also use laxatives or excessive exercise.

Although anorexia and bulimia are very similar, people with anorexia are usually very thin and underweight but those with bulimia may be a normal weight or even overweight.

Binge Eating Disorder
This eating disorder is similar to anorexia and bulimia because a person binges regularly on food (more than three times a week). But, unlike the other eating disorders, a person with binge eating disorder does not try to "compensate" by purging the food.

Anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder all involve unhealthy eating patterns that begin gradually and build to the point where a person feels unable to control them.

If you or your friend is struggling with one of these disorders... it is so important for you to tell someone who can help. We can't always control the world around us but we can control the choices we make.

Exercise...'stress reliever' or 'stress causer'?

Life is full of surprises...not all of them good. Life's little events can often cause stress, anxiety and a bad case of the blues. Some of these we expect--the change from Fall to Winter is often a rough transition for many of us and bad weather can make you feel tired and cranky. The holidays are often a rollercoaster of emotions, bringing out our best and, sometimes, our worst. Then there are the unexpected surprises--losing a job, moving to a new city, contracting an illness, fender benders and other events, big and small that test our mental strength.
Unfortunately, we can't predict the future, but we can find ways to relieve stress in healthy ways. One of the best ways to work out the stress and pull yourself out of the dumps is to move your body.

Soothe Yourself with Exercise
When we feel down or depressed, we look for things that make us feel good. Often, we reach for the wrong things--food, alcohol, sleep or drugs...most of which make us feel worse instead of better. It's important to take care of yourself when your feeling blue and there's nothing wrong with a little indulgence...as long as it's healthy and something that will genuinely make you feel better.

Rather than reach for the chocolate when you're stressed, think of something you enjoy doing...something that feels good to you. It might be working in the garden, taking a slow bike ride or taking a walk with a friend. Think of activities you like but rarely allow yourself time to do then commit to doing them as often as you can. Rhythmic activities like walking, raking leaves or even cleaning can be healing exercises--as your body gets into it's own rhythms, you can let your mind go and work out problems, find solutions or just daydream for awhile.

Article Review Reflection: What have you learned or what surprised you about the information in the article? How or in what way does exercise affect you, your family, or society? With all the information and medical technology available, why do you think our society is continuously struggling with cardiovascular disease and obesity? (Minimum of 10 sentences)

Heart Disease & Teens

What's it all about?

Heart disease is America's number one killer of both men and women.
A heart attack occurs when an artery carrying blood to the heart gets blocked-without oxygen-rich blood, the heart muscle is damaged and can die.
Arteries usually get blocked by a blood clot that gets stuck in an artery that is already narrowed by a build-up of plaque.
Often, the first sign of heart trouble is a heart attack.
Why worry now, I'm a teenager?

Good question. Here are several reasons why teens should be concerned about heart disease:

About one-third of young people ages 10 to 19 have blood cholesterol levels that are too high-this is a risk factor for developing heart disease.
When young men who died in the Korean and Vietnam wars were autopsied, their arteries were already beginning to clog.
What causes my risk for heart disease?

High blood pressure.
High blood cholesterol.
Being overweight, especially carrying extra fat around the stomach.
Not getting much physical activity.
Smoking.
Heredity-having other people in your family with heart disease.
What can I do to prevent heart disease?

Let the Food Guide Pyramid and the Dietary Guidelines be your key to healthy eating.
Eat more low-fat foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grain breads and cereals like oatmeal.
Switch to skim or 1 percent milk.
Eat lean cuts of meat and take the skin off chicken and turkey.
Get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day, or most days.
Did you notice????

We can control many of the things that cause heart disease,
like what we eat, smoking and getting enough physical activity.

Article Review Reflection: What have you learned or what surprised you about the information in the article? How or in what way does exercise affect you, your family, or society? With all the information and medical technology available, why do you think our society is continuously struggling with cardiovascular disease and obesity? (Minimum of 10 sentences)