UNIT 1:

Physical Health and Wellness

Table of Contents

Introduction 2

Lesson 1: Health-Related and Skill-Related Fitness Components and Assessments 4

Learning Targets 4
Let’s Warm Up! 4
Learn about It! 6
Check Your Understanding 21
Let’s Play! 22

Lesson 2: Introduction to Non-Communicable Diseases 24

Learning Targets 24
Let’s Warm Up! 24
Learn about It! 25
Check Your Understanding 32
Let’s Play! 33

Lesson 3: Eating Habits 34

Learning Targets 34
Let’s Warm Up! 34
Learn about It! 35
Check Your Understanding 42
Let’s Play! 43

Ready, Set, Go! 44

Self-Check 45

Bibliography 47

Glossary 48

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GRADE 9

UNIT 1
Physical Health and Wellness

Fig. 1. Health and Wellness among Teenagers.

Introduction
We all enjoy the benefits of having advanced technology because it has made our lives
easier. However, being able to do everything with just a click of a button or with the use of
mobile phones, it leads us to a sedentary or inactive lifestyle. To meet the various
demands of daily living among young adults, it is necessary to stay fit and keep a healthy

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mind and body. Teens can achieve health and wellness by engaging in many sports and
physical activities. Chances of getting sick and acquiring non-communicable diseases will
lessen once an individual develops an active lifestyle.

This unit will help provoke each and one of you to have more active participation among
physical activities and sports as you will learn the consequences of otherwise having a
sedentary lifestyle. Eating habits and the different non-communicable diseases will also be
explored within this unit.

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Lesson 1: Health-Related and Skill-Related
Fitness Components and Assessments

Learning Targets
In this lesson, you should be able to:
● define health-related and skill-related fitness components;
● describe the different physical fitness components (health-related and
skill-related); and
● perform assessments for each physical fitness component.

Let’s Warm Up!

Processing Cards: Fitness Components

Explore the different fitness components you will learn in this unit. Brainstorm with your
classmates and then share to the rest of the class what you know about the following
physical fitness components.

Materials:

● 2 cards per group - one labelled “Still Thinking,” and the other one labelled “Ready to
Share!”
● pen
● paper

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Procedures:

1. Form eleven groups. Each group will be given a set of 2 cards with labels: “Still
Thinking” and “Ready To Share!”
2. All students will begin with the “Still Thinking” card.
3. Each group will be given one keyword from the following to think about and discuss
among themselves what they know about it. Students must emphasize its relation to
physical fitness and activities.
● cardiovascular endurance ● power
● muscular strength ● speed
● muscular endurance ● balance
● flexibility ● coordination
● body composition ● reaction time
● agility
4. Groups are given at least 3 minutes to brainstorm. Each group should write all their
collected thoughts down on a single paper. When students are finished, they can
raise the “Ready to Share!” card. The teacher can give an extension of 2 minutes if
needed by some groups.
5. When all groups are ready to share, a representative from each group will share to
the whole class what they have discussed and justify their thinking about the given
word. Students will submit their group paper to the teacher for documentation and
closing activity for the unit.

Guide Questions:

1. How have you encountered these words?

2. Are these words important to know about in terms of learning how to be physically
fit? Why or why not?
3. Which one of these components do you think you are good at, and which one do
you need to improve on?

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 Learn about It!
It is an individual’s sole responsibility to look after one’s
physical health and wellness. To have an excellent overall
being, you must look after your physical health. It also
pertains to being physically fit and having a healthy
lifestyle. Physical fitness refers to when an individual
exhibits the capacity to perform daily tasks without
feeling fatigue easily and has extra energy for other
leisure activities or in cases of emergencies. As for having a healthy lifestyle, it entails
making better choices for one’s health concerning eating habits, staying active and even
maintaining a healthy weight appropriate for your age and height.

Physical Health and Wellness

What is Physical Health and Wellness?

The conventional definition of Physical Health emphasizes when one has not been
stricken with any minor or severe illnesses. But as modern medicine evolves, the definition
of what physical health is, changes too. It is now defined with the following components:
● Physical activity - refers to recreational activities and more structured exercises that
focus on health-related and skill-related fitness components.
● Nutrition and Diet - refers to a well-balanced diet, especially on one’s nutrient and
fluid intake, as well as having healthy digestion.
● Alcohol and drugs - as these substances can affect one’s mood and bodily processes,
abstinence and less consumption must be practiced.
● Medical self-care - refers to how one address minor injuries or common illnesses, or
when to seek professional care if needed.
● Rest and Sleep - even if regular exercises are important, having adequate rest and
sleep is just as essential too.

Overall, physical health and wellness encourage to care for our bodies for maximum
health and proper functioning. Simply put, it promotes looking after our bodies through

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physical activity, proper nutrition, and a sharp mind.

Learning this, ask yourself if you are interested in enhancing your physical health and
wellness? To do so, this lesson will further explore the following elements - health-related
fitness components and skill-related fitness components - that help contribute to achieving
overall optimum health and wellness.

Health-Related Fitness Components

Health-related fitness components refer to the components of one’s physical fitness

that when enhanced, lessen the possibility of acquiring non-communicable diseases. To
successfully become and stay physically healthy, you must integrate the following
health-related fitness components to your regular exercises:

Fig 2. Exercises good for one’s health.

1. Cardiovascular Endurance - a person’s capability to complete exercises for a

period without stopping or taking a break. Having a strong heart, healthy lungs and

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 clear blood vessels for oxygen to flow throughout the body, a person can function
well of exercises that call for cardiovascular endurance, or also called
cardiorespiratory fitness. Jogging, dancing, swimming and climbing stairs are few
of the many daily activities that can help develop your cardiovascular endurance.

2. Muscular Strength - focuses on the muscles of the body and its ability to exert a
certain amount of force. It tests how much weight a person can carry or how much
resistance he or she can overcome. Weight lifting, heavy gardening, and any
activities that require the strength of your muscles help develop one’s muscular
physique.

3. Muscular Endurance - just like the muscular strength component, muscular

endurance tests the abilities of the body’s muscles. This is tested when an individual
uses the same group of muscles over and over again, without getting exhausted. It
entails doing repetitive actions for a time like swimming, hiking, and cycling. These
exercises can help improve your stamina.

4. Flexibility - this component, on the other hand, refers to the body’s ability to do a
movement or a range of actions without causing injury. Any individual can do
various activities with ease and grace if one has developed excellent flexibility.
Perfect examples of measuring this component are the ability to do vast arrays of
stretching and yoga positions.

5. Body Composition - lastly, this component informs an individual what makes up

your body - tissues, fat, muscles, bones, and organs. To measure the body
composition of any individual, the level of body fat must be emphasized. One’s body
composition determines his or her leanness since muscular tissues take up less
space than fat tissues in the body. Simply put, this health-related fitness
components refers to the percentage of the fat and fat-free tissues found in your
body.

Activities that Measure One’s Level of Health-Related Fitness Components

An individual can measure his or her own level of physical fitness, especially so with the

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following health-related fitness component assessments. Tracking your workouts, your
progress, how long you are doing it, and how hard you’re working can all test if you are
physically fit or not. And for adolescents like you, simple activities listed below can help you
measure how well you are developing each health-related fitness component.

Cardiovascular Endurance

Activity: 3-Minute Step Test

Purpose: To measure cardiovascular endurance.

Equipments:
1. Step box with a height of 12 inches
2. Stopwatch

Steps:
1. Pair up with a classmate. One will do the activity first, and the other one, the tester,
will time the entire exercise using a stopwatch.
2. Position in front of the step.
3. At the “GO” signal of the tester, step up and down the step box for 3 minutes, at
least at a rate of 24 steps per minute. One step should consist of 4 beats - “up with
the left foot, up with the right foot, down with the left foot, down with the right foot.”
4. Immediately after the activity, relax while standing up. Don’t talk.
5. Locate your pulse right after the exercise. (The first beat is ‘zero.’)
6. Count your pulse for about 10 seconds. Then, multiply it by 6.
7. Now, the other tester will take his or her turn to do the step test.

Scoring: Record the 60-second heart rate after the activity.

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Muscular Strength

Activity: Curl-Ups

Purpose: To measure strength of abdominal muscles.

Equipments:
1. exercise/yoga mat, or any clean mat
2. two tapelines

Steps:
1. Pair up with a classmate. One will do the exercise, the other one, the tester, will
make sure that his or her partner is doing the correct body form. The tester
should also make sure that the tapelines are set 12 centimeters apart.
2. The student doing the exercise will lie on his or her back with knees flexed at a
90-degree angle. Hands are palm down, touching the first tapeline. Feet cannot be
held or rested against any object. Arms are extended and resting on your thighs.
3. Do a slow and controlled curl-up, sliding the fingertips along the floor until it
touches the second tapeline.
4. The exercise must be achieved at a rate of 1 every three seconds or about 20
curl-ups per minute. It should allot 2 seconds going up and 1 second going down.
5. One should not rest while at the bottom position. Perform as many curl-ups as
possible without stopping.
6. A curl-up is counted once the shoulder blade touches the floor. The test is over
once the student can no longer do the exercise in the correct form, is in pain, or
stops voluntarily.

Scoring: Record the number of curl-ups achieved by your partner.

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Muscular Endurance

Activity: 90-degrees Push-Ups

Purpose: To measure strength of upper extremities.

Equipments:
1. exercise/yoga mat, or any clean mat

Steps:
1. Pair up with a classmate. One will do the exercise, the other one, the tester, will
make sure that his or her partner is doing the correct body form. Lie down on the
mat, facing downwards. Palms must be under the shoulders while fingers are
pointing forward. Legs must be kept straight and parallel, but slightly apart, and
the toes support the feet.
2. For boys: Arms should be straightened while keeping the back and knees straight.
Lower your arms up to a 90-degree angle at the elbows. Your upper arms must be
parallel to the floor.
3. For girls: While the knees are on the floor, arms should also be straightened while
keeping the back straight. Lower the arms as well up to 90-degree angle at the
elbows. The upper arms must also be parallel to the floor.
4. Do the exercises as many as you can. Maintain a count of around 20 push-ups in a
minute. Two seconds going down, one second going up.
5. The tester will count as his or her partner lowers down their body on the ground.
The assessment is over once the partner can no longer do the exercise in a correct
form, is in pain or stops voluntarily.

Scoring: Record the number of push-ups made by your partner.

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Flexibility

Activity: Zipper Test

Purpose: To be able to touch the fingertips together, behind your back, by reaching over
one arm over the shoulder and the other arm, under the elbow.

Equipments:
1. ruler

Steps:
1. Pair up with a classmate. One will do the exercise, the other one, the tester, will
make sure that his or her partner is doing the correct body form.
2. Stand straight.
3. To first test the right shoulder:
a. Raise your right arm.
b. Bend your right elbow.
c. Reach down across your back as far as you can.
d. Meanwhile, extend your left arm down behind your back.
e. Bend your left elbow up across your back.
f. Cross your fingers over with those of the right hand.
g. Reach with your right hand over the shoulder and down the back. Make this
gesture as if to pull up a zipper or that you’ll scratch between the shoulder
blades.
4. To test the left shoulder next, do the same procedures (a to g) but with the left
hand over your left shoulder.
5. The tester will measure the distance in which the fingers overlapped. Record the
length in centimeters.

Scoring: Record zipper test to the nearest 0.1 centimeter. Follow the standard scoring
table below.

Table 1. Standard Scores for Zipper Test.

0 did not touch the fingertips

1 just touched the fingertips

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 2 fingers overlapped by 1 to 2 cm

3 fingers overlapped by 3 to 4 cm

4 fingers overlapped by 5 to 7 cm

5 fingers overlapped by 8cm and more

Body Composition

Activity: Formula Computation for BMI - Body Mass Index

Purpose: To compute body mass index.

Equipments:
1. bathroom or weighing scale
2. tape measure on the wall, with zero mark on the bottom of the floor
3. L-square
4. calculator

Steps:
A. Weight - how heavy or light a person is.
1. Wear light clothing before stepping on the weighing scale.
2. While barefoot, stand straight and still with your weight evenly distributed
on the middle of the scale.
3. Record the score in kilograms.

B. Height - the measurement between the floor to the top of the head in a standing
position.
1. Stand straight while barefoot. Heels, buttocks, and shoulders are pressed
against the wall where the tape measure is.
2. The tester will place the L-square against the wall with the base on the top
of the head of the student measuring his height.
3. Record the score in meters.

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Scoring:
A. Weight - record the body mass to the nearest 0.5 kilograms.
B. Height - record standing height to the nearest 0.1 centimeter (1 meter = 100 cms).

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Skill-Related Fitness Components

Skill-related fitness components refer to the ability to effectively manipulate our body to
more complex movements necessary for daily routines and sports. Having a high
skill-related fitness level means that you are physically active and healthy.

Fig. 3. Specific skills are needed for complex activities like sports.
Source: Sarah Jones, Girls playing Soccer, CC BY-SA 2.0

These components will help anyone to participate and engage in sports and activities
efficiently. Professional athletes are considered to have high levels of the following:

1. Agility - is one’s ability to change direction or position of the body quickly. Having
control of your body while in rapid motion shows a good level of agility. It is
specifically required for sports like tennis and football to be in an advantageous
position against rivals.

2. Power - refers to the ability to apply one’s maximum effort in a short period of time.
It talks about how much force or strength to use in doing an action. Spiking a
volleyball and kick a football both require power as a skill-related fitness

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 component.

3. Speed - goes hand-in-hand with the component, power. It is the ability to cover as
much distance in such a short amount of time. Sports like running in a marathon,
cycling and swimming rely mainly on speed to gain an advantage against your
opponents.

4. Coordination - is a skill-related fitness component that presents the ability to move

two or more body parts at the same time. Especially with the eye-hand coordination,
it tests if there is a coordinated movement or control of the eyes and hands. Sports
that need the use of both hands and eyes, even with the movement of feet greatly
requires this fitness component. Basketball, volleyball and more are examples of
these sports.

5. Balance - refers to the ability to maintain an upright position or posture while

standing still or moving. It can be a static form of balance, maintaining equilibrium
in a fixed position; or, a dynamic form of balance, maintaining equilibrium while
moving. Equilibrium refers to a state in which opposing actions are balanced so
that one is not stronger than the other. Balance is mostly seen in surfing and
skating.

6. Reaction Time - is the skill-related fitness component that helps an individual to

react quickly to things around. He or she must be alert to the surroundings to
complete a game or a routine successfully. However, this fitness component is not
always measured, yet it is an essential part of sports and daily life. Karate,
ping-pong, and tennis all require a quick reaction time to take an advantage spot in
the game.

Activities that Measure One’s Level of Skill-Related Fitness Components

Few activities detailed below can help measure how well you are developing each
skill-related fitness component to develop physical health and wellness.

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Agility
Activity: Hexagon Agility Test

Purpose: To measure the ability to move rapidly while maintaining proper balance.

Equipments:
1. Tape measure
2. Stopwatch
3. Chalk or masking tape to mark the ground

Steps:
1. Mark a hexagon on the floor. A hexagon is a shape with six sides. Each side should
be 24 inches long and angled at 120 degrees.
2. Face in front of the line and start with both feet placed in the middle of the
hexagon. At the ‘Go!’ signal, jump across the line, then back again over the same
line, into the hexagon.
3. Continuing facing forward, still with feet together, jump over the line of the next
side, and back into the hexagon again. Complete all the sides for three full rounds.
4. Perform the activity, clockwise and counter-clockwise.
5. The tester will make sure the player completes all sides. If the player jumps or
lands on the wrong side, he or she must restart.
6. Record the time taken to complete the three revolutions. The best score from the
trials is recorded.

Scoring: Record the time in nearest minutes and seconds.

Power
Activity: Basketball Pass

Purpose: To measure the upper body muscles’ explosive strength and power.

Equipments:
1. Basketball with a preferred size of 7
2. Throwing area

Steps:
1. Sit on the floor, with buttocks, head, and back resting against a wall. Legs should
be stretched out in front of the body.

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 2. Following the chest pass, push the ball with both hands as far as you can. Make
sure that your buttocks, head, and back remain against the wall.
3. The tester must check if the player is sitting correctly throughout the simple
assessment.
4. Mark the spot where the base of the ball made first contact, closest to the take-off
line.

Scoring: Record the distance to the nearest 0.5 meters.

Speed
Activity: 40-Meter Sprint

Purpose: To measure running speed.

Equipments:
1. Stopwatch
2. Running area with a distance of 40 meters between the start and finish line.

Steps:
1. Stand behind the starting line. Make sure that the top most of your shoe does not
go beyond the line.
2. At the ‘Go!’ signal, run towards the finish line as quick as you can.
3. Stop the stopwatch once runner crosses the finish line.

Scoring: Record the score in the nearest minutes and 0:00:01 seconds.

Coordination
Activity: Paper Juggling

Purpose: To measure the coordination of a student in performing motor tasks.

Equipments:
1. 1 piece crumpled bond paper

Steps:
1. Stand comfortably in an area with no obstruction.

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 2. Hit the crumpled paper six times, alternating with your right and left palms in an
upward motion.
3. The tester must make sure that the player hit the paper at least six times only with
his left and right palms.
4. Count up to how many times the player has hit the crumpled paper.

Scoring: Record the number of times the player was able to hit the crumpled paper
correctly.

Balance
Activity: Stork Balance Stand Test

Purpose: To measure the ability of a student to balance on the ball of a foot.

Equipments:
1. flat, non-slip surface
2. stopwatch

Steps:
1. The player is given at least 1 minute to practice the exercise.
2. The player should remove his or her shoes and place his or her hands on the hips.
3. Position the non-supporting foot against the inside knee of the supporting leg.
4. Raise your heel to balance on the ball of the foot.
5. The tester must start the stopwatch as soon as the heel raises from the floor.
6. The stopwatch must be stopped on the following instances:
● the hand/s are removed from the hips,
● the supporting foot hops or moves in any direction,
● the non-supporting foot loses contact with knee, or
● the heel of the supporting foot falls and touches the floor.

Scoring: Record the time in nearest seconds.

Reaction Time
Activity: Stick Drop Test

Purpose: To measure reaction time on how fast a player can respond to a given

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stimulus, in this case - the stick. The higher the score, the faster your reaction time is.

Equipments:
1. Ruler or a stick that is 24 inches long
2. Armchair or a table and chair

Steps:
1. Sit on a chair next to a table. Comfortably rest your elbow and lower arm on the
table.
2. The heel of your hand should also rest on the table so that the fingers are the only
thing extending beyond the edge.
3. The tester will hold the ruler or stick at the topmost part, dangling it between the
thumb and fingers of the player.
4. Without warning or signal, the tester will drop the ruler or stick and let the player
catch it with his thumb and index finger.
5. The player should catch it with only the thumb and index finger as quickly as he
can without lifting the elbow from the table.
6. The score is the number read on the ruler that is just above the thumb and index
finger once caught.
7. Give the test three times.

Scoring: Record the middle score out of the three tries. For example, you scored 16, 18,
and 20, your middle score is 18.

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Check Your Understanding

A. Define the following terms in your own understanding.

1. health and wellness

2. health-related fitness component
3. skill-related fitness component
4. physical assessment
5. agility
6. body composition
7. reaction time
8. muscular strength and endurance
9. flexibility
10. equilibrium

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 B. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the difference between health-related and skill-related fitness

components?
2. How can you prioritize your own physical health and wellness in terms of
what you have learned in this unit?
3. Why are physical assessments important to undergo?

Let’s Play!

Physical Fitness Check!

Track the progress of your physical fitness by performing the different physical fitness
assessments:

Health-Related Fitness Component

COMPONENT ASSESSMENTS Score

CARDIOVASCULAR 3-Minute Step Test Heart Rate Per

ENDURANCE Minute
· Before the Activity
Heart Rate Per
Minute
· After the Activity
Heart Rate
Recovery
MUSCULAR 90 Degrees Push-Up Number of Push-Up
STRENGTH

FLEXIBILITY Zipper Test Overlap Gap – Right

Arm (cm)
Overlap Gap – Left
Arm (cm)

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BODY COMPOSITION Body Mass Index (BMI) Height (meters)

BMI = Weight (kg.) Weight (kilograms)

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Height (m)
BMI

Classification

Skill-Related Fitness Component Assessments

SPEED 40 Meter Sprint Time (00:00)

POWER Basketball Pass First Trial (m)

Second Trial (m)

Middle Score (m)

AGILITY Hexagon Agility Test Clockwise Time

(00:00)
Counter Clockwise
Time (00:00)
REACTION TIME Stick Drop Test First Trial (cm)

Second Trial (cm)

Third Trial (cm)

Middle Score (cm)

COORDINATION Paper Juggling Score: Number of

Hits

BALANCE Stork Balance Stand Right Foot Time

Test (00:00)

Guide Questions:
1. Reflect on your physical fitness status so far. Based on the results of your physical
fitness component assessments, do you think you have given importance to your
physical wellness? Why? Why not?
2. What can you do to improve your physical fitness and wellness?

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Lesson 2: Introduction to Non-Communicable
Diseases

Learning Targets
In this lesson, you should be able to:
● define non-communicable disease;
● describe the different types of non-communicable diseases; and
● identify the modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors.

Let’s Warm Up!

Quick Writes

Procedures:
1. Ask the students what they know about non-communicable diseases are. They are
given 3 minutes to write their ideas down.
2. After 3 minutes, pair up with a classmate to compare notes. Discuss for another 2
minutes and write what the similarities and differences of their ideas in a Venn
Diagram.

Guide Questions:
1. What was the prevailing thought about non-communicable disease?
2. Why is it important to be knowledgeable about these diseases?
3. How are an individual’s health and wellness related to non-communicable diseases?

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 Learn about It!

Non-communicable diseases have been the cause of

over 60% of death around the world. It is now a
common challenge for public health among different
countries, regardless of its economic status. Promoting
a healthy lifestyle is needed now and as significant as
ever since the predominance of non-communicable
diseases in the Philippines continues to rise.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a United Nations agency concerned
with public health internationally, non-communicable diseases are diseases that do not
pass from person to person. It is also called chronic diseases, as it typically goes on for a
long duration and develops slowly among humans. Diseases like heart disease, stroke,
cancer, and respiratory diseases were once recognized as problems of high-income
countries before. However, as mentioned earlier, these types of conditions have accounted
for more and more deaths globally due to physical inactivity and unhealthy lifestyle.
Physical inactivity refers to not having the recommended level of regular physical
activities of a person — this and having an unhealthy lifestyle come about with the
advancement of technology-use among young adolescents like you.

In this lesson, we will be discussing the different types of non-communicable diseases, as

well as the risk factors that we need to combat to lessen the chances of acquiring such
diseases.

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 Fig. 5. Physical inactivity due to technology advancement.

Types of Non-Communicable Diseases

The most common non-communicable diseases are as follows:
● Cardiovascular diseases, like hypertension and stroke, are diseases that mainly
affect the heart. Having heart problems can lead to numerous complications since
this body organ has the most vital role of circulating blood and oxygen to the whole
body. It affects the heart and inhibits its functions which can, later on, cause severe
complications to one’s health.
● Cancer is another life-threatening disease that causes death worldwide. This
non-communicable disease develops when an abnormal mass of cells grow inside
the body. This abnormal growth is called a tumor, which is one of the first signs that
cancer has transpired within the organ and spread to the rest of the body.
Developing this disease will lead to serious health problems like constant pain,
organ failure, and death.

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● Chronic Respiratory Diseases are diseases that affect the lungs, specifically the
airways, and its other parts. The common respiratory diseases nowadays are
asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Just like the other
non-communicable diseases, this type affects people of different ages and is mostly
chronic, an illness persistent for an extended period or regularly recurring in one’s
lifetime.
● Diabetes is an illness that impacts how the body uses sugar, or what is called
glucose. Glucose is the sugar taken from the various foods that we eat or consume.
It is essential to have a specific amount of glucose in our blood since it is responsible
for having adequate energy to perform daily activities. Diabetes develops when
there is an increase in blood sugar in the body and in turn will lead to adverse
effects on one’s health.

Fig. 6. Non-communicable Diseases.

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Risk Factors - Modifiable and Non-Modifiable

People of all ages may be affected by the different types of non-communicable diseases.
Although these conditions are associated with the older generation, teenagers like you are
also at risk due to many factors. These factors are called risk factors or factors that raise
the possibility of being affected by a particular disease. Some of these risks are called
modifiable, meaning it can be changed by taking numerous measures, and
non-modifiable factors, saying it cannot be changed at all. However, non-modifiable risk
factors can also be regulated and the effects reduced by changing one’s lifestyle.

In regards to a person’s physical health and wellness and its relation to the various
non-communicable diseases discussed earlier, modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors
are listed below.

Modifiable Risk Factors

There are four common modifiable risk factors listed by the World Health Organization
that affects a person’s total physical health and wellness. These are as follows:
● Smoking. Tobacco use is accounted for more than 7.2 million fatalities every year.
These statistics include the effects of exposure of a second-hand smoke around you
and is predicted to increase in numbers in the coming years. People who smoke
cigarettes and use tobacco in their lives increase the risk of developing cancer and
respiratory diseases. As it falls under modifiable risk factor, smoking is something
that one can avoid doing or being exposed to. Teenagers should not let peer
pressure push you into smoking that will lead to developing non-communicable
diseases.
● Physical Inactivity. Studies have shown that physical activity will increase anyone’s
lifespan regardless of any inherited conditions. Being physically active can protect an
individual from developing a multitude of non-communicable diseases at any age.
Physical inactivity or having a sedentary lifestyle has progressively risen over the
past several years. The incidence of most non-communicable diseases has been due
to not having regular exercises or not using our body as much as it needs to. Stress
has also been linked to this modifiable risk factor. Living in a stressful life causes

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 people to adopt negative habits like smoking, eating unhealthy, and just keeping a
lazy lifestyle by staying inactive. Physical inactivity also speeds up the aging process
of a lot of people, while active lifestyle slows it down and so produces better benefits
throughout their lifetime.
● Unhealthy Diet. The duty of diet is vital in acquiring and preventing
non-communicable diseases. It is one of the critical factors that an individual can
change and will entirely impact all the other risk factors. Excessive salt intake has
been identified as one of the many things that causes an unhealthy diet. Also having
a diet high in fat and cholesterol leads to an increased risk of heart diseases.
Teenagers and even young children are more encouraged nowadays to adopt a
habit of eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as food low in saturated
fats. Healthy eating habits must start as early as preschool age, and once they
reached puberty, it is relatively normal that it will change since they would need to
eat more and experiment on the different food and eating. And this sometimes
leads to poor choices. It is best advised that by young adolescence, parents and
guardians guide teens in adopting a healthy diet.
● Alcohol Consumption. Just like smoking, alcohol consumption has also been noted
as one of the risk factors leading to getting non-communicable diseases, and it is
something that can be avoided. Excessive drinking of alcohol is globally identified as
solely responsible to about 2.5 million deaths and a large percentage of diseases.
Constant alcohol use daily can increase hypertension and even cancer among
individuals. Alcohol consumption also causes problems like an increase in blood
pressure, stroke, cirrhosis of the liver and even mood swings that lead to violence
and suicide. And like many other things, alcohol intake among young teens and
adults alike are due to peer pressure and brought about the many stressors in life. It
is always best to keep in mind the long-term benefits and consequences of avoiding
drinking alcohol to a person’s physical health and wellness.

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 Fig. 7. Modifiable Risk Factors

Non-Modifiable Risk Factors

Unfortunately, some risk factors cannot be changed or modified at all. These are as
follows:
● Age. The older a person gets, the more like he or she is to develop cardiovascular
diseases. Aging is simply a risk factor in adopting many health problems for anyone.
● Ethnic Background. An individual’s ethnic origins and influence may also be
responsible for developing certain types of non-communicable diseases. African and
Asian people have higher risks of developing cardiovascular diseases than other
ethnicities. Still, one can reduce the risk as much as possible by controlling the
modifiable risk factors mentioned above.
● Family Medical History. Some of the risk factors are related to lifestyle habits

30
passed on from the parents to their children. But, it may also be that genes are
accountable for passing these risks on to the younger generations. Coronary heart
diseases, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels are some of the
conditions that can be passed on by the parents’ genes, and the parents before
them. If you have a family background of cardiovascular diseases, it is best for you
to avoid smoking, discontinue eating unhealthy that leads to obesity, and be more
physically active instead.

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 Check Your Understanding
A. Define the following based on your own understanding.

1. non-communicable diseases
2. chronic
3. risk factors
4. cardiovascular diseases
5. respiratory diseases
6. diabetes
7. cancer
8. glucose
9. sedentary lifestyle
10. ethnic background

B. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the difference between a modifiable risk factor and

non-modifiable risk factor?
2. How is stress a risk factor in developing non-communicable diseases?
3. Which among the risk factors do you think has the most negative effect
on a person’s physical health and wellness? Why?

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 Let’s Play!

Charade with a Twist

1. Divide the class into two groups.

2. Using chalk, draw two piko diagrams on the floor leading to the board.
3. The leaders of each group will exchange ten relevant words from the lesson (written
in small pieces of paper to be checked by the teacher). The members of each group
will form a line on the starting area of the piko diagram.
4. The first players in each group will take the piko diagram, pick a piece of paper, and
act on the word written in it to let his/her co-members to guess the word.
5. Once the word has been guessed, the first player will again take the piko diagram,
tag the second player, and go to the back of the line.
6. Then, second players will take the piko diagram, write the word on the board, pick a
piece of paper, let his/her co-members guess the word, take the piko diagram again,
tag the next player, return to the back of the line and so on.

The group who will guess all the words first will be declared as the winner.

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Lesson 3: Eating Habits

Learning Targets
In this lesson, you should be able to:
● identify what healthy diet is and what it consists of;
● assess personal eating habits based on the Philippine Food Pyramid; and
● distinguish the facts from myths about eating habits.

Let’s Warm Up!

Quick Draws - My Regular Meal

Procedures:
1. Students will be asked to reflect on what their regular meals consist of.
2. In a bond paper, students will draw a plate of the last meal that they just had. The
class is given 3 to 5 minutes to do the task.
3. When everyone is done, form groups with at least five members. Share among
themselves what they have drawn and compare how similar or different their meals
are.
4. Each group will choose a representative of their group. The representative will then
share with the rest of the class what they have found out about each other’s regular
meals.

Guide Questions:
1. Do you consider your last meal as healthy or unhealthy? How so?
2. Given a chance, what item would you like to always have in your meals? Why?
3. How can you make your meals healthier?

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 Learn about It!

As teenagers and going through puberty, your body will

be going through what is called the growth spurt. It
refers to the phase in a child’s life that shows rapid
growth in height and weight. During this phase, you’ll
find yourself eating more to satisfy the body’s needs
with all the energy and nutrients you require for daily
routines.
This is the perfect time to start changing your eating habits. Eating habits entails the way
a person consumes food, including considering what food to eat, how much food to eat,
and even when to eat. Like being physically inactive, one can also deter good health if he or
she has an unhealthy eating habits or lifestyle. This lesson will explore what a healthy meal
consists of and will also help you discern if your eating habits are considered healthy or
otherwise. Different facts and myths of eating habits will also be discussed later in this
lesson.

Fig. 8. Growth spurt among children and teens.

35
Factors Influencing Eating Habits
When you were younger, whatever meals your parents and guardians have prepared in
front of you, you must eat. But as you get older, you start getting choosy in the types of
food you want to eat. It is even common for teenagers to start eating less of vegetables
and fruits, and more of the fatty and sugary food instead. There are many reasons why this
happens. Some studies have found out that the following factors predict food choices
among teenagers and adults:
● hunger and food cravings,
● food’s appeal and taste preferences,
● time consideration, convenience, food availability, and cost,
● parents’ and guardians’ food choices and eating behaviors,
● culture and religion,
● benefits of food,
● mood, and
● body image - portrayed by media.
Lack of awareness of the health benefits of proper meals among teenagers is a significant
obstacle that leads them to eat fewer fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. It may also be
due to peer influences if they are into junk food and fatty food. Teenagers also make poor
choices on their meals because they have their allowances to spend on preferred food
instead of meals adequately prepared for them by parents.

Fig. 9. Peer influences eating habits.

36
Nutrition is the process of acquiring food necessary for health and growth. And to obtain
good nutrition, we need to consume food that provides the right nutrients. Proper
nutrients are required by adolescents to meet their bodies’ needs for development. These
nutrients are used by the different parts of the body to function well. Besides, nutrients
are the main source of energy allowing the body to do daily activities such as walking,
running, and breathing. The following are the nutrients needed by the body:
carbohydrates, proteins, dietary fats, and vitamins and minerals. The Food and Nutrition
Research Institute (FNRI) is an agency under the Department of Health (DOH) that
made Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF). It informs Filipinos about proper diet
and lifestyle to develop physical health and wellness. Below is a summary of the guideline:
● Consume a variety of foods that contain proper nutrients needed by the body.
Follow the “Pinggang Pinoy” that promotes right consumption of the three primary
food groups: go, grow and glow food.
● Fruits and vegetables must be eaten daily to get essential vitamins, fibers, and
minerals for proper body processes.
● Diet must include fish, lean meat, poultry, eggs, dried beans, and nuts to help the
growth and repair of body tissues.
● Take milk, dairy products, and other foods rich in calcium like fish and shellfish for
good bones and healthy teeth.
● Use iodized salt for the prevention of iodine deficiency disorder.
● Lessen the consumption of salty, sugary, and fried food that helps prevent the
development of cardiovascular diseases.
● Reach normal body weight by proper diet intake and having regular physical
activities to avoid obesity.

37
Philippine Food Pyramid
A balanced meal contains the proper amount of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins,
and minerals necessary to maintain good health. One can plan a proper balanced diet
through the use of the recommended food pyramid. The food pyramid is a visual
presentation on the acceptable number of servings suggested per food, per day. The Food
and Nutrition Research had adapted the Food Pyramid the Swedish Government has first
released, then also adopted by the United States Department of Agriculture. It guides
Filipino citizens on the recommended amount of food they can eat per day. There are
different food pyramids based on the age range. Below is the Philippine Food Pyramid
specific for young adolescents aged 13 to 19 years old.

Fig. 10. Daily Nutritional Guide Pyramid for Filipino Children (13 to 19 years old)
Source: http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph/index.php/tools-and-standard/nutritional-guide-pyramid#teen-13-19yrs-old

38
In each of the shelves of the Food Pyramid, food groups containing the same nutrients are
placed together. It allows individuals to choose a variety of foods to include in their healthy
diet. The food pyramid serves as a guide to help you balance the right and nutritious food
needed by your age. The topmost shelf of the food pyramid are the ones that must be
highly regulated because they are high in fat, salt, and sugar. Using this guideline is
significantly useful to anyone who wants to develop a healthy eating lifestyle.

Pinggang Pinoy
The Department of Health also released another guideline that works along the Food
Pyramid discussed earlier. Pinggang Pinoy is another visual representation of a food plate
easy to understand how to convey the right food combinations that will best serve healthy
meals to Filipino people. It’s a quick, easy meal plan to know how much food to eat or what
a typical balanced meal looks like.

Fig. 11. A suggested balanced meal.

39
Eating Habits: Facts vs. Myths

It is important to teach children and young adolescents all about the different food and its
health benefits. Once you and your family consume food with nutrients like proteins,
carbohydrates, good fats, vitamins, and minerals, you will be able to grow, perform well
and have health and wellness. There isn’t much to worry if you follow the various
nutritional guidelines mentioned in this lesson. However, below are some of the many
myths and facts about eating habits.

Myth # 1: Children and teens eat whatever they like.

Fact: Young ones develop their tastes according to whatever is served to them, and also by
mirroring their parents’ eating behaviors. They are also greatly influenced by what their
friends are eating as well. If we want to eat healthily, we must limit our visits to fast food
places with our family and friends, and also follow a strict healthy checklist when buying
groceries.

Myth #2: Multi-grain bread is healthier than white bread.

Fact: The former might sound healthier than white bread because of how media taught us
to look for more “multi-grain” labels. But it isn’t as healthy as we ought to believe. By
making these multi-grain bread, the process filter outs key nutrients that are good for the
body.

Myth #3: Too much red meat and eggs are not suitable for children and teenagers.
Fact: It should be limited among adults only. Children and teenagers generally do not need
to cut back from these food items because they are an excellent source of proteins that
young and active bodies need.

Myth #4: Diet soda is a better option than regular soda.

Fact: Although diet soda has fewer calories than the regular soda, it has artificial
sweetener in it that can cause damage to your body and teeth. It will even make you crave

40
for more sugar, and you end up consuming more calories than you intend to. So in
general, one must limit intake of any kind of soda - diet or regular.

Myth #5: Young ones love to eat the same food over and over again.
Fact: Yes, it may be true that children and especially teenagers are fond of eating the same
food repeatedly. However, most of them also want to try different and new things. When
this happens, parents and guardians must grab the opportunity to introduce healthier
options to include in the children’s meals.

Myth #6: Preparing a healthy meal is more expensive.

Fact: The widespread promotion of organic and gluten-free food among grocery items and
restaurant menu help consumers think twice about what they buy or eat. However, there
is also a notion that these healthier options cost more than those that are not. It will still
depend on what you choose to include on your meals, as long as it can satisfy the proper
nutrients your body needs. The food pyramid can be very handy in such situations. There
are so many varieties of healthy foods to choose from; it’s just how one will be able to
create or plan a balanced meal.

41
Check Your Understanding
A. Define the following based on your own understanding.

1. growth spurt
2. eating habits
3. food pyramid
4. pinggang pinoy
5. nutrients
6. peer influences
7. balanced meal
8. nutrition
9. go, grow, glow foods
10. unhealthy meal

42
 B. Answer the following questions:

1. How does the Food Pyramid help you develop physical health and
wellness?
2. Which one is more convenient to use, the Pinggang Pinoy or the
Philippine Food Pyramid? Why?
3. Why is it important to distinguish between facts and myths on
eating habits?
4. After the discussion, how can you improve your eating behaviors in
school and at home?

Let’s Play!

Fact or Fallacy!

Divide the class into three groups. Search for other facts or fallacies about health and
wellness behaviors. Create a role play and present it to class. Let your classmates guess if
the scene you presented is fact or fallacy.

Guide Question:
1. What other facts and misbeliefs have you discovered from the activity?
2. With all the available resources and media, how will you become a wise recipient of
information?

43
 Ready, Set, Go!
My Physical Health and Wellness Portfolio
Create a compilation of your health-related fitness and skill-related fitness components
assessments, physical activities and exercise plan and meal plan. See format below:

I. Title: My Physical Health and Wellness Portfolio

II. My Health-related fitness and Skill-related fitness components assessments
results
III. Physical activities and Exercise Plan
IV. Meal Plan

This performance task will be graded according to the following rubric:

Criteria Beginning Developing Accomplished Score
(0-12 points) (13-16 (17-20 points)
points)

Content on Health-related
Fitness Components
(Used real-life pictures and
described each
appropriately)

Content on Skill-related
Fitness Components
(Used real-life pictures and
described each
appropriately)

Creativity and
Resourcefulness
(Creativity and
resourcefulness are evident
in using recyclable
materials)

44
 Self-Check
I think I need more I have a minimal I am confident that I
Skills understanding of it. can do this with ease.
time and assistance.

I can describe
physical fitness.
I can explain the
indicators for fitness.
I can explain health
and skill related
fitness components.

Reflect on the lessons you’ve learned from this unit and provide the necessary information
on the table.

Reflect

I find __________________________ the most interesting because ______________________.

I got ____ checks because _______________________________________________________.
I need to improve on _______________________because _____________________________.
I need to practice _________________________ because _____________________________.
I plan to _____________________________________________________________________ .

45
Wrap Up

46
 Bibliography
“Daily Nutritional Guide Pyramid”. Food and Nutrition Research Institute. DOST.Gov.ph.
Accessed December 9, 2018.
http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph/index.php/tools-and-standard/nutritional-guide-pyrami
d#teen-13-19yrs-old

Deshpande, Sameer et. al. “Factors Influencing Healthy Eating Habits Among College
Students: An Application of the Health Belief Model.” Researchgate.net. Accessed
December 9, 2018.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24395068_Factors_Influencing_Healthy_Ea
ting_Habits_Among_College_Students_An_Application_of_the_Health_Belief_Model

“Healthy Eating Habits for Teenagers”. RaisingChildren.net. Accessed December 9, 2018.

https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-eating-habits/healthy-e
ating-habits-teens

Koshuta, John. “What is Physical Health?” Study.com. Accessed December 9 2018.

Knight, Joseph. “Physical Inactivity: Associated Diseases and Disorders” Annals of Clinical &
Laboratory Science. Accessed. December 9, 2018.
http://www.annclinlabsci.org/content/42/3/320.full

“Non Communicable Diseases” World Health Organization. Accessed December 9, 2018.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases

“Pinggang Pinoy: Healthy Food Plate for Filipino Adults” DOH.Gov.ph. Accessed December
9, 2018.
https://www.doh.gov.ph/node/223

“Risk Factors” World Heart Federation. Accessed December 9, 2018.

https://www.world-heart-federation.org/resources/risk-factors/

47
 Glossary
Alcohol and drugs are substances can affect one’s mood and bodily processes, abstinence
and less consumption must be practiced.

Food Pyramid is a visual presentation on the acceptable number of servings suggested

per food, per day.

A healthy lifestyle entails making the better choices for one’s health in terms of eating
habits, staying active and even maintaining a healthy weight appropriate for your age and
height.

Health-Related Fitness Components refers to your ability to become and stay physically
healthy.

Medical self-care refers to how one address minor injuries or common illnesses, or when
to seek professional care if needed.

Modifiable means it can be changed by taking numerous measures.

Non-communicable diseases are diseases that does not pass from person to person.

Non-modifiable means it cannot be changed at all.

Nutrition and Diet refers to a well-balanced diet, especially on one's nutrient and fluid
intake, as well as having a healthy digestion.

Physical activity refers to recreational activities and more structured exercises focuses on
health-related and skill-related fitness components.

Physical inactivity refers to not having the recommended level of regular physical
activities of a person.

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Physical health emphasizes when one has not been stricken with any minor or severe
illnesses.

Physical fitness refers to when an individual exhibits the capacity to perform daily tasks
without feeling fatigue easily, and has extra energy for other leisure activities or in cases of
emergencies.

Risk factors or factors that raises the possibility of being affected by a certain disease.

Skill-related fitness components refers to our ability to manipulate our body to more
complex actions or movements necessary for daily living and even sports.

49