Lesson 5.3: Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Overview

This lesson focuses on learning about healthy weight, healthy ways to gain and lose weight and the dangers of fad diets and supplements on overall health.

Learning Targets

  • LO9: Explain influences on body weight.
  • LO10: Describe what a healthy weight is.
  • LO11: Explain healthy ways to lose and gain weight.
  • LO12: Explain the risks of fad diets and supplements, including anabolic steroids.
  • LO13: Access valid and reliable information about weight-loss supplements.

Preparation

For the Warm-Up Activity: Write the Journal Question on the board or identify (and copy as needed) the worksheets you plan to use:

For the Content Focus: Make copies of the Lesson 5.3 Note-Taking Guide. Project the Lesson 5.3 PowerPoint slides.

For the Lesson Focus: Copy the Lesson 5.3 Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Accessing Weight Loss Information.

Warm-Up Activity

Select a warm-up activity to help get your class focused and on task.

  • Journal Question: Identify five influences on your weight. List them in order from most significant to least significant influence. Do you think others experience these same influences in the same way? Explain your response.
    • Option: Write or project the question and have students respond in their journal or on their “bell ringer” sheet as they enter class.
    • Option: Have students discuss the question with a partner or in a small group.
  • Vocabulary Review: Have students work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to complete the Lesson 5.3 Vocabulary Review Worksheet
  • Quiz: Have students complete the Lesson 5.3 Quiz to assess their prior knowledge.
    • Option: Collect the quiz and use it alongside a posttest to demonstrate student learning.
    • Option: Have students share their answers with a partner and then go over the answers together as a class.

Lesson Content

Review the content from the textbook lesson.

Lesson Focus: Accessing Weight Loss Information

  1. Give each student a copy of the Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Accessing Weight Loss Information.
  2. Remind students to access websites that are valid and reliable. Have students work individually to complete the assignment.
  3. When students are done with their worksheet, tell them to make groups of three made up of students who focused on a different supplement.
  4. When groups are together, ask students to share their findings.
    Option: As an exit ticket activity: On a separate piece of paper, ask students to reflect upon what they learned about the different supplements presented to them in their group. Had they heard of this supplement before? Did they learn anything surprising? Collect student papers as they leave the room at the end of class.

Challenge Activity

Have students needing an additional challenge work on the following Thinking Critically task.

Read the following descriptions and decide which of the three you think is the healthiest person. Support your choice with facts.

Trayvon: 68 inches (173 cm) tall and 160 pounds (73 kg). Waist-to-hip ratio of 1.10. Eats an okay diet but never works out.

Mariah: 62 inches (157 cm) tall and 120 pounds (54 kg). Waist-to-hip ratio of 0.92. Loves to read and play video games while snacking on chips and cookies.

Keni: 64 inches (163 cm) tall and 160 pounds (73 kg). Waist-to-hip ratio of 0.76. Loves to jog and run 5k races. Eats a well-balanced diet.

Reflection and Summary

Review the critical content from today’s lesson. Review the learning targets and ask students to answer each question posed.

Can you...

  • Explain influences on body weight?

    Genetics, the environment, and behaviors each plays a role in influencing weight.

  • Describe what a healthy weight is?

    A healthy weight is a weight that you are comfortable with and that can be maintained by following basic nutrition and physical activity guidelines.

  • Explain healthy ways to lose and gain weight?

    Eating a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet higher in total calories and doing more resistance training is the most effective way to gain healthy lean body tissue. Even when diet and exercise are combined properly, some individuals are simply not able to become big and muscular.

    Eating the right amount of nutrient-dense foods while also increasing physical activity is the healthiest way to lose body fat and weight. It is also a good idea to have friends and family support your efforts and to keep a positive attitude.

  • Explain the risks of fad diets and supplements, including anabolic steroids?

    Fad diet and diet pills often claim to give quick and dramatic results. People who lose weight quickly on these diets and products often gain back the weight quickly as well. This is called weight cycling, which has been shown to slow down metabolism and increase body fat over time; it also can increase a person’s risk for diseases. Supplements designed to help with weight gain, such as anabolic steroids, are generally not effective and can include dangerous ingredients. Steroids can cause permanent damage to the cardiovascular system, liver, and kidneys and can cause severe acne, hair loss, and mood swings.

  • Access valid and reliable information about weight-loss supplements.

    To access valid and reliable information use accurate key terms when searching for information on weight-loss supplements. Focus on information from .org and .gov sites making sure the information is research based and written by experts in the field of weight-loss for accuracy, validity, and reliability.

Assessment

Complete one or more of the following assessment tasks for this lesson.

Take It Home

Provide emotional support to a friend or family member who struggles with their body weight. Remind them that behaviors are more important than the numbers on a scale and encourage them to make healthy choices.