Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 3
Nutrition and Diet in Health
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Nutrition and Diet in Health
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Subject: Physical Education Health Elective
Class: SHS 3
Term: 1st Term
Week: 12
Grade code: 3.1.2.LI.3
Strand code: 1
Sub-strand code: 2
Content standard code: 3.1.2.CS.1
Indicator code: 3.1.2.LI.3
Theme: Health Education
Subtheme: Nutrition and Diet in Health
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Welcome, students. Today, we are discussing a very important and sensitive topic: eating disorders. In our modern Ghanaian society, especially with the influence of social media, television, and global culture, young people face a lot of pressure regarding their appearance and body weight. Sometimes, this pressure can lead to unhealthy eating habits that can develop into serious medical conditions known as eating disorders. These are not lifestyle choices or a sign of weakness; they are complex mental and physical illnesses that can have devastating effects on a person's life. Understanding them is the first step to preventing them and helping those who may be struggling.
A. What is an Eating Disorder?
An eating disorder is a serious mental health condition characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviours and associated distressing thoughts and emotions. It is not simply about food; it is often a coping mechanism for deep emotional problems like anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, or trauma. These disorders can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, or socioeconomic background. B. Anorexia Nervosa Definition: Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an intense and irrational fear of gaining weight, a distorted perception of one's own body weight or shape, and self-imposed starvation leading to significantly low body weight. Key Characteristics & Behaviours: Severe Food Restriction: Drastically limiting the amount and type of food eaten. Intense Fear of Weight Gain: An overwhelming fear that persists even as weight drops to dangerous levels. Distorted Body Image: Seeing oneself as overweight, even when severely underweight. Obsession with Weight and Food: Constantly weighing oneself, counting calories, and thinking about food. Excessive Exercise: Exercising compulsively to burn calories. Denial: The individual often does not believe they have a problem. Effects on the Human Body: Anorexia is essentially slow starvation, and it damages almost every organ system. Physical Effects: Cardiovascular System: Slow heart rate, low blood pressure, and damage to the heart muscle. The heart is a muscle, and with no energy from food, the body starts breaking it down. This can lead to heart failure and death. Bones: Loss of bone density (osteoporosis), making bones brittle and likely to break. This is due to a lack of calcium and hormonal changes. Muscles: Severe muscle loss and weakness (including the heart). Hair and Skin: Hair becomes thin and falls out. A fine, soft hair called *lanugo* may grow on the body as a way to keep warm. Skin becomes dry and yellow. Reproductive System: In females, menstruation stops (amenorrhea). In males, testosterone levels drop. This leads to infertility. Brain and Nerves: Difficulty concentrating ("brain fog"), mood swings, fainting, and seizures. The brain shrinks due to malnutrition. General: Severe dehydration, kidney failure, feeling cold all the time, and extreme fatigue. Psychological & Social Effects: Severe depression, anxiety, and irritability. Social withdrawal and isolation from friends and family. Perfectionism and obsessive-compulsive behaviours. Difficulty participating in school activities due to lack of energy and focus. C. Bulimia Nervosa Definition: Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by a cycle of bingeing (eating a large amount of food in a short time) followed by compensatory behaviours, or "purging," to prevent weight gain. Key Characteristics & Behaviours: Binge Eating: Recurrent episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food, often in secret, with a feeling of being out of control. Purging/Compensatory Behaviours: Self-induced vomiting. Misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas. Fasting for long periods. Excessive exercise. Body Weight: Individuals with bulimia are often of normal weight or slightly overweight, which can make the disorder harder to detect than anorexia. Preoccupation with Body Shape and Weight: Self-esteem is overly dependent on body image. Effects on the Human Body: Physical Effects (largely due to purging): Digestive System: Chronic sore throat, inflammation and rupture of the esophagus from frequent vomiting. Stomach acid wears away tooth enamel, leading to severe dental problems. Acid reflux and peptic ulcers. Electrolyte Imbalance: Vomiting and laxative abuse deplete the body of essential minerals like potassium, sodium, and chloride. This can lead to irregular heartbeats, heart failure, and death. Kidneys: Dehydration from purging can cause kidney damage or failure. Glands: Swollen salivary glands in the cheeks ("chipmunk cheeks"). Skin: Calluses or scars on the back of the hands and knuckles (Russell's sign) from self-induced vomiting. Psychological & Social Effects: Feelings of shame, guilt, and disgust after a binge. Co-occurring depression, anxiety, and substance abuse are common. Financial stress due to spending large amounts of money on binge food. Maintaining the binge-purge cycle is time-consuming and leads to social isolation. D. Binge Eating Disorder (BED) Definition: Binge Eating Disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort), accompanied by a feeling of loss of control and subsequent shame or guilt. Unlike bulimia, there are no regular compensatory behaviours like purging. Key Characteristics & Behaviours: Eating much more rapidly than normal. Eating until feeling uncomfortably full. Eating large amounts of food when not physically hungry. Eating alone because of embarrassment. Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty afterward. Effects on the Human Body: The effects are often related to the health consequences of obesity, which is a common outcome of BED. Physical Effects: Cardiovascular System: High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Metabolic System: High risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes due to insulin resistance from frequent high-calorie intake. Joints: Increased pressure on joints, leading to osteoarthritis. Respiratory System: Sleep apnea (breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep). Digestive System: Gallbladder disease. Psychological & Social Effects: Significant depression and anxiety. Low self-esteem and poor body image. Difficulty coping with emotions. Avoiding social situations where food is present. E. Binge Drinking
While not a formal eating disorder, binge drinking is a related harmful behaviour involving diet and is included in our indicator. Definition: Consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period (e.g., 5 or more drinks for men, 4 or more for women, in about 2 hours) with the intention of getting drunk. Effects: Acute (Short-term): Impaired judgment, poor coordination, injuries, alcohol poisoning (which can be fatal), risky behaviours. Chronic (Long-term): Liver damage (cirrhosis), heart problems, pancreatitis, certain cancers, and alcohol dependence (alcoholism).
Guided Practice (With Solutions)