ICSE Class 6 Biology Chapter 6 Health and Hygiene

Health And Hygiene

Syllabus

Factors affecting maintenance of good health.

1. Balanced diet (brief revision of food groups - learnt in junior classes).

2. Adequate exercise and rest.

3. Maintaining personal cleanliness - bathing, care of hair, teeth, eyes; frequent washing of hands.

4. Maintaining cleanliness of the surroundings.

5. Basic first aid - how to deal with cuts and bruises, small burns.

6. How diseases spread - coughs and colds (droplet infection), contaminated food/water (gastro-intestinal infections), direct contact (conjunctivitis, lice), vectors (mosquitoes - malaria, dengue).

7. How pollution affects our health - polluted air and water, noise pollution.

Classroom discussion will elicit much of the information needed. Students should be encouraged to talk about personal experiences, how they can avoid sickness etc.

First aid training - practical training with the help of the local Red Cross/a doctor.

A doctor parent could talk to students about common diseases and their remedies.

Survey to find out how many students consume unsafe food outside home (E).

Survey to find out how many students eat an excess of fast foods/ exercise regularly/get enough sleep/watch TV for long hours (resulting in eye strain and lack of sleep) (E).

Listing causes of air, water and noise pollution in their city.

What Is Health?

Normally, a person is said to be healthy if he or she is not suffering from any disease. True, but a healthy person should also be in a state of complete mental and social well-being.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1984, defined 'health' as follows:

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity.

Teacher's Note

Health encompasses physical fitness, mental peace, and good relationships with family and community. A truly healthy person thrives in all these areas.

Characteristics Of A Healthy Person

A person is said to be healthy if he or she has:

- No physical deformity.

- All the body organs are functioning properly.

- There are no symptoms of disease or anxiety and no mental problems.

Factors Affecting Health

We generally believe that good food gives good health and keeps us disease free. But there are other factors too which determine the state of our health. These are as follows:

1. Balanced diet.

2. Adequate exercise and rest.

3. Personal cleanliness.

4. Community hygiene.

5. Protection from infectious diseases.

Kinds Of Foods

Food is essential for all living beings as it provides vital nutrients. Nutrients like fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, etc. are substances which the body needs to grow and keep healthy. They also provide energy for our activities like running, jumping, playing, etc. Thus, it is important that not only various types but balanced food should be included in our diet.

Food is any substance which we eat or drink and which contains nutrients.

Diet is the combination of food items in our meals. Diets are highly selective even for different members in the same family. For example: some may take onion, garlic, etc. others may not, some like to take rice, others like chapatis and so on.

Classification Of Foods

Foods are classified into five main categories according to requirement in our body:

(a) Energy giving foods

(b) Body building food

(c) Protective foods

(d) Roughage

(e) Transport medium - Water

Energy Giving Foods

Energy giving foods: Carbohydrates and fats are energy giving foods. Fats give more energy as compared to carbohydrates. Sources: cereals, sugar, jaggery, noodles, potatoes, etc. for carbohydrates, and butter, ghee, oils, etc. for fats.

Body Building Foods

Body building foods: Proteins are body building foods. The major sources: pulses, soyabean, milk, egg, meat, etc.

Protective Foods

Protective foods: Minerals and vitamins are protective foods. These prevent many diseases. These nutrients are needed in small quantities and are essential everyday for good health and growth. There are various kinds of vitamins. They are found in many food items but a single food does not contain all vitamins. So, we should include a variety of foods in our daily diet. The main sources of vitamins are green leafy vegetables, fruits, milk, eggs, cheese, etc.

The minerals help the body to function normally and use other nutrients properly. They have no energy value. Some minerals like calcium and phosphorus are required for the proper development and growth of bones and teeth. The rich sources of minerals are milk, green leafy vegetables, pulses, meat and eggs.

Roughage

Roughage: Roughage are fibres which provide bulk to the food we eat. It prevents us from constipation. Raw vegetables provide good roughage.

Transport Medium - Water

Transport medium - Water: Water plays a vital role in human body and is required in large quantity. It is a medium of transporting food substances and their absorption within the body. It maintains body temperature and helps to eliminate harmful substances from the body.

Teacher's Note

Understanding the five food groups helps students make better dietary choices and appreciate why their parents insist on eating vegetables and drinking water daily.

Balanced Diet

A diet which consists of all the essential nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and roughage in adequate quantities is called a balanced diet.

According to one's choice a person should take a diet containing pulses, chapatis, vegetables, rice, curd, egg, fish or meat and fruits in adequate quantities.

Effects Of Not Taking A Balanced Diet

If one does not take adequate quantities of carbohydrates, minerals, fats, proteins, vitamins and roughage (fibres), etc. he may not keep healthy. Let us know, what happens if any one of these nutrients is consumed less or in excess than required.

1. Lack of carbohydrates in our diet causes tiredness, lethargy inactivity. Excess of carbohydrates results in obesity (fatness). An obese person may be eating excess food but may not be getting the essential nutrients since his diet is not balanced.

2. Lack of fats in our daily diet causes rough skin, weak eyesight and thin body. Excess of fats leads to obesity.

3. Insufficient protein in diet may slow down the growth and development of children. They may get tired quickly. Excess of proteins taken for a long time may damage the kidney. Thus, when a person does not take a balanced diet, he remains undernourished. He may suffer from deficiency diseases or suffer from obesity.

The quantity of various nutrients also depends upon the age and activities of a person and the gender. For example, young, growing children need more carbohydrates and proteins in their diet than older people. This is essential for the energy needed for physical activities and for the building of body tissues. Males require more energy than females even if they are doing the same kind of work.

A person doing mental work needs less energy than a person who is doing physical work.

The energy supplied by the food items is measured in calories. Our body weight depends on the number of calories we take in and the number of calories we use everyday. One who takes more calories and uses less of it may suffer from obesity. A person who takes the same amount of calories that are being used up maintains a constant body weight.

Properties Of Balanced Diet

1. It meets the nutritional requirements of the body.

2. It consists of a variety of food items in adequate proportion.

3. It provides an adequate amount of energy.

Teacher's Note

A balanced diet is like a balanced bank account - you need the right mix of different nutrients to maintain good health and prevent problems like obesity or malnutrition.

Prepare a daily chart for your diet that you would like to take in breakfast, lunch and dinner in a table given below.

After you have completed the chart for one week, check whether your diet is a balanced diet or not.

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