TheESOL Health Literacy Project

TheESOL Health Literacy Project

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Why Study Health

Health plays a significant role in the lives of every human being!  It is the key to the essential functioning of our bodies and minds. Knowing about health is critical to the way people address both being healthy and coping with diseases which may appear in their life one day. Diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity are increasing every day, making people more conscious about health. As a result, there is a desire for a greater awareness about preventing and treating diseases. Generally, everyone pursues a dream, and good health is essential for success in life. Learning about health enables people to create an action plan based on healthy eating, exercising, and being proactive about their health care.

We sincerely invite you to read the following ideas written by ESOL 5/6 students which explain why it is so important to know about health.

Like water and oxygen, health is one of the most important elements for human beings. People�s bodies are always at risk. Therefore, learning about health gives people an understanding about their bodies, such as their genetics and environmental causes which might lead to diseases.

By knowing about health, we can find the key to live longer and achieve our personal aims. We can establish new habits such as eating healthy food like fruits and vegetables, lowering our calorie consumption, avoiding smoking or drinking alcohol excessively, and organizing a schedule that allows us to have time to rest. By adopting these habits, we can hope to have a longer life.

           

Everyone pursues a dream, and good health is essential for success in life.

Being able to take care of ourselves, we can hope to control the causes which can lead to a disease. Health is everything in our life; therefore, the more we know about health, the more strategies we will have for a longer life.

                                          

Learning about health is important because it gives people the tools to help maintain the well-being of their families and themselves. In fact, knowledge about good nutrition plays an important role in families because it helps parents to teach their children the real meaning of health and the importance of following a healthy lifestyle.

  -Elba Duarte, Raziel Prudente, and Rene Hernandez

Everyone will have a health concern at one point in their life, so it is important to be prepared. Having early and accurate information about health is a crucial part of our lives because some diseases are not easy to detect, and their treatments will be more effective if they are detected earlier.                                                                             

 I believe that learning about health is relevant because it gives us an understanding of our body as a system and how this system works.                                                                                                               

Knowing about health has to be a priority in our life because this can help us create a prevention action plan. In addition, it will assist us in coping with a diagnosed illness. Furthermore, it will encourage us to have discipline any time we must follow a treatment. 

I have a friend who has been suffering from obesity for many years. I have seen her very angry and impatient dealing with this problem. She has tried different kind of diets, but none of them seen to be effective. One day, I saw her so depressed. I told her that in my English class, I have learned that in order to lose weight people must have an active life which means to practice exercise and always follow a diet and look at the kinds of fat they eat. For example, many foods contain high levels of sodium, sugar, cholesterol, carbohydrates, and saturated fats, especially instant food and canned food, such as fruit and corn. So, she was surprised when we checked the labels of food that she used to eat. In fact, I am very glad that this class is giving me knowledge to help my friend and to make me more aware of my own health.